


A Hundred Different Shades of Blue

by kiatina



Series: Kiatina's Dragon AU [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Ilvermorny, Conspiracy, Dragons, Every magical creature is accepted as real except dragons, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 116,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23815465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiatina/pseuds/kiatina
Summary: Victor Nikiforov is known worldwide for his talent at brewing potions. Despite his success, he can't help but feel that something is missing from life. Though he's always been told that dragons are a myth, Victor still holds out hope he will be the  one to finally prove their existence. An accidental encounter with a young man named Yuuri leads him to believe the stranger and his family may know more than they let on when it comes to mythical beasts. Victor discovers a conspiracy that runs deeper than he'd ever imagined, and finds a new life and love along the way.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: Kiatina's Dragon AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857667
Comments: 161
Kudos: 244





	1. May 2010

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FoxHunt42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxHunt42/gifts).



> Hello! This is my first YOI story! :) I haven't written in years and thought I'd try to get back into it now that Corona has given me some free time. Pardon my rustiness and please enjoy! 
> 
> In this chapter Victor is 25 and Yuuri is 21.

**May 2010**

“Chris,” Victor began, panting from the effort of their trek uphill. “Are you _sure_ dragons live up here?” They'd been at it for hours and there had been no sign of them. Granted, there were never signs of them anywhere else either, but still. He'd hoped for something to show they were on the right track. 

“Yes,” Chris answered confidently, followed by a not so confident, “Mostly sure.” 

Victor shot him a withering look. Leave it to his best friend to bluff his way into convincing Victor to abandon everything at the drop of a hat and climb miles up this mountain on a theory. “I can't believe you. You promised me more scales than I could carry!” he whined. Imagine the potions he could brew with those... 

He really did have to imagine, seeing as there were no known uses for dragon scales. Oh what glorious discoveries awaited him. He'd be famous! The first to unravel their secrets... 

Chris awkwardly laughed, glancing over his shoulder. “Did I?” he asked, and Victor's answering glare made him chuckle weakly. “Well at the very least I can guarantee you unicorn hair. You can make an excellent staff with that as your core. Or maybe a nice wand?” he tried. 

“I already have a wand with a unicorn core,” he reminded him none too kindly. Victor even went as far as pulling his wand out from his jacket's inner pocket and gesturing lightly in Chris's direction. A few small spheres of light zipped out from the tip and went to zap his friend lightly on the neck, causing him to gasp and squirm away. “I wanted to make one with dragon heartstring!” 

“Ow!” Chris cried, though he'd been more startled than hurt. “What was that for?” 

Victor stowed his wand away once more. “For dragging me on a wild goose chase. There were never any dragon's up here, were there?” he pressed. “No mysterious traveler joined you in the tavern last night, did they? And you just fabricated the whole story about them showing you a dragon's egg they supposedly found up here.” 

“In my defense,” Chris said, tossing another look over his shoulder, this time a subtle smirk in place. “You fell for the most cliché scenario there is. Is that really my fault?” 

“ _Fulgur_ ,” Victor hissed, and threw several bolts of lightning dancing in Chris's direction, scorching the ground they touched down on. His friend hopped in place to prevent his boots from being singed. “So cruel, Chris!” 

“Says the man trying to barbecue me!” he protested. Chris stopped and turned fully around, facing a pouting Victor who had his arms crossed over his chest. Chris took that as a good sign, and that maybe Victor wouldn't be tossing any more spells his way for the moment. “I'm sorry, okay? I really needed some silverweed and it only grows up here. You never want to come with me when I ask.” 

“Why couldn't you just go alone?” Victor asked. “Why do you need me?” 

Chris sighed. “Because it's too dangerous for me to go by myself. You know that. I don't know enough defensive magic.” His specialty was charms, which while useful in everyday life, were not the most helpful should you find yourself cornered by an angry beast. (Although in a pinch he had once levitated himself until the acromantula had given up and scuttled off to find another snack.)

Victor was starting to resign himself to the fact he would not be making any magical discoveries any time soon. “...Do dragons even exist?” he finally asked, sounding wholly disappointed. 

Chris shrugged. “I don't think so. No one alive has ever seen one. They're just in stories, you know?” 

Victor did know. He had every book on dragons available, which wasn't as many as you might expect. They were old – some falling apart to the point he was afraid to touch them. When pouring over them he gently used magic to turn the pages, worried any physical contact might cause them to crumble. He had everything memorized, every iota of knowledge wizards before him had notated on the animals. Their diets, their breeds, their temperaments, even possible nesting locations! He should have known better than to listen to Chris about this mountaintop, it was all wrong. To begin with, in this part of Russia they would most likely find zmey, a fiery dragon type that would burn the forests to ashes with a single furious burst of flame. No, he was an idiot for coming up here. The dragons would have been down at the base in caves... 

He was an idiot for coming up here because dragons were simply legends. He'd just held out such hope that the old accounts were based on truth. 

“Victor?” Chris asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. “On a scale from one to ten, how mad are you right now?” 

He thought it over for a minute before he sighed and started walking again, brushing past his best friend to continue on the trail. “Mad? Probably a three. Disappointed? A solid eleven.”

He'd been fascinated by the idea of dragons for as long as he could remember. They had to be real. If mermaids and unicorns and sphinx's were real, why not dragons? So one hadn't been sighted in several hundred years, that didn't mean anything. Maybe there wasn't any physical evidence. So what? Banshees left no trace behind, no body to examine, yet we all know they are out there haunting houses. 

“Did you need anything other than silverweed?” he asked, drawing a notebook out from his other inner pocket. “Now that you mention it, there are a few things I've been meaning to collect myself.” He looked over the list of potion ingredients he'd been jotting down all week: _bouncing bulbs, puffapods, venomous tentacula leaves..._

“Ah, yes, actually,” Chris said, falling into step beside Victor. “Yuri's been needing mandrake roots, and I really wouldn't say _no_ to some unicorn hair if we see one...” 

* * *

They spent the night on the mountaintop, Chris charming toadstools into large, spongey beds and green moss into blankets while Victor set up a few protective barriers around their campsite. Last time Chris had ventured too far into the forest on his own, he'd been rudely awakened by a herd of curious centaurs. He wasn't eager to have their bows aimed at him again any time soon. This was why he needed Victor. 

His best friend was the most gifted sorcerer their town had seen in ages. His wand work was second to none, his mind an encyclopedia of spells, and his potions were sought after by wizards from as far as Thailand. The only areas he fell short in at school had been care of magical creatures and divination. 

Divination Chris could see, as he wasn't all too fond of fortune telling himself. For one thing, it took the spontaneity out of life. Second, everyone who had the gift of sight seemed depressed, as if the future only held promises of hopelessness and despair. If that's all there was to see, he'd rather not know. 

Failing magical creature studies three years in a row surprised Chris, seeing as how obsessed with dragon lore Victor was. But maybe that was the problem, his friend was too engrossed in one species to absorb knowledge of anything else. 

When dawn arrived the two made their way back down the mountain. Victor was sorely tempted to transport himself home instantly and leave Chris, now that he wasn't on the lookout for dragons, but he stayed for the walk. Though he wouldn't admit it now, he had needed this journey. He'd been spending far too many hours a day brewing potions in the stuffy back room of his apothecary. Business was steadily growing, and while he should be delighted that he was receiving requests from customers from around the world, he found the whole thing quite tedious and boring. Potion making, while lucrative, was not his passion. This was only ever supposed to have been temporary, a means for an income while he focused on his true dream of finding a living, breathing dragon. These days he was far too busy brewing to go on any adventures. 

At the base of the mountain the two went their separate ways, Chris towards Yuri's home to deliver the mandrakes and Victor towards his shop, above which was his small living quarters. He entered the shop and made a beeline for the storage room, dropping off the ingredients he'd collected before trudging upstairs for a nap in a real bed. 

He awoke some hours later, absolutely starving. He did a mental check of all the food he had in the kitchen, not recalling anything particularly appealing and finding himself once again locking up shop and venturing on a small mission. While he was perfectly capable of conjuring up a meal, magicked food never quite tasted like the real thing. Something was always missing, and he got such little satisfaction out of it that it was worth the walk into the town center. 

Victor ate at his favorite tavern, joining a few familiar faces rather than sitting off by himself. Chris had been telling him to be more social lately. Despite being the most well known sorcerer in town, Victor had very few people he called friends. (He preferred it that way, honestly.)

Hunger satisfied and his socialization set for the week, he began to get his things together to head home. Just as he was about to stand a paper bird flew in through one of the open windows. A few patrons looked up to see who it was for, and when it landed in front of Victor and unfolded into a scroll, they turned away, uninterested. 

Victor picked up the parchment and looked it over. _Victor,_ it began. _I hope there's no hard feelings about yesterday. I know I shouldn't have lied to you, but I really thought you needed to get out of the house for a bit. You haven't been yourself lately._ Victor assumed that was referring to his lack of adventure lately, but... He was getting older. He didn't have time to be playing around hunting for mythological creatures with a full time job now. 

_Speaking of getting out of the house... Would it be too much to ask for you to pop over to Japan and pick me up a bezoar stone? I'd really appreciate it._

Victor laughed quietly to himself. Asking him to go international immediately after that impromptu journey yesterday? Chris must have been surprised with a commission of some type today to have the nerve to pull that. Still, Victor would do it, and Chris knew that. Victor could never tell his best friend no. 

Victor really needed to teach Chris teleportation spells soon. 

Well, without Chris tagging along this would be much faster than their mountain trip. “ _Ianuae,_ ” he said softly, snapping his fingers as he envisioned the bustling center square of Hasetsu. He blinked, and when his eyes regained their focus, he was no longer in the tavern but in the middle of a crowded market. 

He was then promptly knocked to the ground. 

Victor blinked, world spinning for a moment before he got himself together. There was a weight on him, and he looked down to see a dark haired young man sprawled across his front, cheeks pink as he stuttered out an apology. “Oh,” Victor started. “That's – are you-”

“I'm so sorry!” the stranger repeated, pushing off both Victor and the ground to settle back on his heels. “I didn't mean – It's like you appeared out of nowhere!”

Victor chuckled. “That's pretty accurate, actually.” He brushed off the front of his clothes before getting to his feet, holding a hand out to help the other man up as well. “It's my fault. I should have known better than to appear in the heart of a busy square.” Victor had magicked his way here a hundred times and had never had the unfortunate odds to cut anyone off. He supposed his luck was due to run out. “Are you alright?” he asked again. 

“Ah, yes. Thank you.” He shifted foot to foot, quickly scanning the ground around them. The stranger suddenly dropped back down to his knees, using his hands to feel around in the dirt, accomplishing nothing but creating a tiny dust storm. 

Victor realized he was looking to make sure neither of them dropped anything. Oddly frantic, but maybe he'd dropped some money. He felt his pockets as well, and was comforted by the weight of his wand in his traveling cloaks pocket, the jingle of his coins in his coin purse. “Sorry for the collision,” he said, feeling a bit awkward talking to the top of the man's head, who was still shuffling around the dirt and debris. “Have a nice day...” 

The younger man looked up quickly. “You too!” he said, and with one last survey of the ground got to his feet, apparently satisfied he'd lost nothing. 

Victor spared a weak smile and turned to head across the market square to the stall he frequented on his trips to Hasetsu. The woman running the stand always had bezoar stones and other obscure ingredients he and Chris required from time to time. Once he found her he spent almost an hour picking through her baskets and cauldrons, delighted to find octopus powder this time of year, and enough moondew leaves for several batches of draught of living death. He's had several requests for the potion but hadn't had time to teleport to Scotland to pick them fresh himself. 

The kind woman bagged up his purchases, and Victor handed over one silver coin too many with a small wink. “Master Nikiforov,” she sighed with a fond smile. “You always do this.” 

“I don't know what you're talking about,” he insisted, considering asking her not to call him 'master' but knowing it was futile. He wasn't _technically_ a Potions Master, having never actually bothered to apply for the license, but no matter how many times he explained this she continued to address him as such. As did most of his customers. It was an understandable mistake, seeing as he was one of the best brewers in the area. But that was exactly why he hadn't ever bothered. Why pay for the fancy piece of paper proclaiming him a Potions Master when he was doing just fine as he was? Word of mouth already had found him more patrons than he could serve, he didn't need accreditation by an organization he could outperform. 

And anyway, part of him felt that if he did break down and become a fully licensed master, that was like admitting defeat. That would be accepting that running his apothecary in his sleepy little home town was really the culmination of his schooling and career. That his adventure days were finally over. 

The woman's eyes widened. “Oh! I just remembered!” she gasped, clasping onto his wrist for a moment to insist he stay put, then letting go to dig under table. “My son just came for a visit, the one who moved to the United States.” Victor could hear her rustling about beneath the tablecloth. “He had a terrible infestation of doxies,” she said. The woman reappeared with a worn leather pouch in her hands. “Those pesky little fairy-rats, they wrought havoc on his draperies. If only there was some sort of pesticide for the things.” 

“You can always use the Knockback Jinx,” Victor offered with a smile. 

“Oh, I don't know about jinx's and hex's and all that, but I'm sure that's what he did.” She motioned for Victor's hands, pushing the pouch into them. “But he did manage to catch a few.”

Victor heard a clinking noise from within the pouch, and curious, opened it enough to shake out the contents. Out fell three small vials into his palm. His eyes widened. “This isn't...?” 

“Doxy venom,” she beamed. “He managed to extract a bit for me, he knows how rare doxies are in Asia.” Native to North America, they were virtually nonexistent in Japan. You heard about the rare case of travelers accidentally bringing them along in luggage, but it was always swiftly taken care of to protect domestic wildlife. “When I saw it I knew you'd love it.” 

“You spoil me,” Victor grinned. “How much for it?” 

“Don't be silly,” she laughed, waving him off. “It's a gift.” 

“What-” he choked. “Hiroko, I insist,” he frowned, reaching for his coin purse again. 

The woman laughed again and started to shoo him away. “After all the years of you 'accidentally' overpaying for herbs, _I_ insist. Now be gone with you.” 

Victor smiled helplessly and thanked her as he dropped the vials back into the pouch and stored it in his cloak's interior pocket. He'd never bought doxy venom before, and hadn't the slightest idea what he was to do with it. He was quite eager to get home and research its uses. After one last wave to Hiroko, he whispered, “ _Ianuae_.” In a moment he was home in his apartment over his shop. 

Thankfully, he was not bodily knocked to the ground upon arrival. 

He pulled off his cloak and fished out his purchases, setting them on the small desk in his room and draping the cloak over the chair in front of it. Victor shuffled a few things around on the table to find a blank piece of parchment and picked it up. “ _Epistula_.” It flew out of his hands and folded itself into a bird, chirping happily as it beat its wings to hover before him. “Tell Chris I have the bezoar stones for him.” The paper bird chirped in acknowledgment, and Victor could see his messy handwriting slowly appear over the bird's body. It started to fly for the window, pausing as Victor called after it, “Make sure to add something about how this was a great inconvenience for me.” The dark script grew to cover a full wing as the bird looped around the room once more before flying out into the night sky. 

Victor sighed and shook his head with a smile. Honestly he was glad he'd gone to Hasetsu. A friend from his school days had stumbled upon the little town years ago while searching for mermaids, and had gone on and on about it so much that Victor eventually had to see what the fuss what about. He'd found it utterly charming from his first visit, and Hiroko's stall was always stocked with unusual and exotic ingredients. His eyes landed on the leather pouch on his desk. Sweet Hiroko... he'd slip a gold coin in with his payment next time. 

He straightened up his desk a little and pushed in the chair, one of its legs catching on his cloak. “Ah,” he frowned, lifting the chair up and using a foot to try and move the fabric out from under the leg. He shook the chair a little to get it free. 

_Plink_. 

“Hm?” Victor hummed, sure he'd heard something fall. He looked around at the wood floor, not seeing anything at first. He squatted down to get a better look, moving the folds of his cloak this way and that until his eyes caught on something shining. It was small and light, almost oval in shape, and a beautiful shimmering blue. Victor held it close to his eyes to get a good look in the poor light. Had some of his ingredients spilled out? It appeared to be some sort of scale, though of what he couldn't say. Certainly wasn't something he purchased, and it didn't look like anything from his stores below. 

“What are you?” he wondered aloud. How did this get here? He didn't go anywhere or do anything unusual today... 

Wait! The man he'd bumped into! 

“That must be it,” Victor said. “We collided and whatever this is got on or in my cloak. But what is it?” Curiosity peaked, Victor pulled the chair back out and picked up his encyclopedia of potion ingredients and started to flip through. It was nothing he remembered seeing before, but surely he'd find out soon enough. 

* * *

An hour later Victor had gone though three books on ingredients, and nothing in the scales indexes held any clues. He drummed his fingers on his desk in frustration. Was a strangers odd debris really worth this much investigation? It was probably nothing. Just a scale from a large iguana, he thought. Or an exotic komodo dragon a fanciful wizard charmed to be sapphire. 

Victor's brain screeched to a halt. 

“It couldn't be,” he mumbled. “It's impossible. _How_ could it be? Just lying here on my floor...” 

But still, if there was any chance... 

Victor darted up from the chair and ran across the room to the stairs that lead down to his shop. He sprinted through the back storeroom and out into the store, whizzing around the counter top and over to the bookshelves along the far wall. The second shelf was lined with books on dragon lore, and he scooped them all into his arms. “ _Ianuae!_ ” he cried, thinking to teleport back up this time. He stumbled on the landing in his bedroom, turned, and dropped all the books onto his bed. He followed after them, grabbing one after another and looking up any breed thought to have been blue. 

Victor charmed lightning into crystals for light when it became too dark to read. Sent another bird to Chris asking him to come over right away, though he wasn't surprised when there was no response, it was the middle of the night. 

Several frantic hours later, Victor was breathlessly staring down at a hand drawn image of a sui riu. The water dragon was a beautiful thing, with a long lean body and a tail that almost matched it's length. It's glistening scales were all different shades of blue, and their shape matched that of the mystery item in Victor's hand. “It can't be,” Victor panted. “It can't be.” He _wanted_ it to be true, more than anything. He had longed for evidence of dragons his entire life. But faced with what might be a true scale from the beast...even he was too shocked to believe it.

* * *

Victor had Chris over first thing in the morning to look at it. “What do you think?” he asked anxiously. 

“Well...” Chris hesitated, frowning as he peered at the scale. “It's definitely unusual. And it _looks_ like the sui riu drawing. But...” He looked up at his friend. “Come on, Victor. It can't be. Right?” 

“That's what I keep saying,” Victor agreed, “But then I can't find anything else that makes any more sense.” 

“Maybe it's...maybe it's not even from a living thing. Maybe it's a...” Victor looked at the floundering Christophe with great expectation. He didn't deliver. “I don't know! But it's not a dragon scale, Victor.” 

The wizard bit his lip and took the glimmering object from Chris. For the first time he had more to hold onto than his dreams. “I have to look into this,” he said with determination. 

Chris looked at the piles of books strewn about the room. “Haven't you?” 

“I need to find that man I bumped into,” he said, eyes burning. “I'll track him down and insist he explain himself. If there's a perfectly logical explanation for this, well, that's it then.” 

“And if there isn't?” 

“Then dragons are among us!” he cheered. Chris sighed and shook his head. 

* * *

Victor halfheartedly worked on a few potions after Chris left. Despite his eagerness to get to Hasetsu, he knew he couldn't fully disregard his orders and work, however much he wanted to. He brewed a large batch of drought of living death with the ingredients from Hiroko, three common healing potions for the storefront, and a small cauldron of liquid luck. Victor bottled two vials of luck for himself, then sent the rest off via owl to his customer. 

He tucked the vials into a small pouch, along with a few gold coins, a spare wand, and parchment for letters. The mysterious scale was added last, wrapped in cloth to protect it from being scratched. Victor wasn't quite sure what he'd need for this expedition to track down the man he'd encountered yesterday, but he was eager to start. With his wands he was confident he could magic up anything he required. 

He closed his eyes. “ _Ianuae._ ” When he opened them he was back in Hasetsu's town square, right in the heart again, slightly hoping he'd be knocked off balance by a dark haired stranger again. 

Unfortunately he remained firmly upright. _Okay_ , he thought. _You must be around here somewhere_. He sincerely hoped the man wasn't passing through yesterday and already gone, or was accustomed to popping in and out on occasion like Victor himself. 

It was only now that Victor realized he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for. They'd only spoken for a minute at most... What did he look like again? Victor frowned as he started for the perimeter of the square, intent on circling it a few times to begin his search. The man was on the shorter side, that Victor was sure of. Dark hair, though if it was brown or black he wasn't entirely certain. He'd had a black traveling cloak, though so did almost everyone here. 

_I'll know him when I see him_ , Victor assured himself. And so he circled the busy market numerous times, weaving through crowds and peering at everyone he passed. He ducked into every shop and tavern, expanded his search to the nearby cross streets and alleys. Victor even resorted to asking a few locals, though his vague description was no help in narrowing the search down. 

As it neared dusk, he worried his efforts would be in vain. How could he find one stranger among hundreds? There wasn't even a guarantee that he was still in Hasetsu! 

Frustrated and more than a little put out, Victor considered calling it quits and returning home. At least Chris couldn't say 'I told you so' as they hadn't proved it _wasn't_ a dragon scale. A small consolation. With a sigh he reached into his robes for his wand, hand brushing the pouch tucked in there too. He blinked, having completely forgotten about it in his haste to get started. 

“Of course!” he whispered happily, pulling it out and untying the strings. “The potion!” He tipped out one vial of liquid luck and popped off the stopper. “If he's still in Hasetsu, this will help me find him!” He threw his head back and drank the whole thing in one gulp, smacking his lips in satisfaction when he'd finished. After stoppering the vial and putting it away, he waited for the effects to sink in. A stroke of genius would hit him any minute now, a brilliant plot to lure the man out from the shadows, or perhaps a town would come to mind that he should teleport to. 

He waited a minute. And then another. His hopeful smile began to wane. He didn't feel particularly enlightened. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all. _I must have brewed it wrong_ , he thought forlornly. He suspected his customer would request a replacement. And here he'd used all the squill bulbs he'd bought from Hiroko on this batch already. 

“Hiroko!” he grinned. How convenient to realize this now, he was only a few minutes walk from her stand. Yes, he nodded as he started for her stall, he would get more bulbs and another bunch of common rue as well, and he would try again tomorrow. 

When he was within view of her, the woman beamed and waived. “Master Nikiforov!” she called happily. “What brings you back so soon?” 

“Hi Hiroko,” he smiled. “I need another dozen or so squill bulbs. I'm afraid my last potion didn't turn out quite right.” 

“That's unusual for you,” the woman said as she started to pick out the best of her inventory for him. Victor nodded in agreement. He hadn't scrapped a brew in at least five years. “Such a pity you had to come all this way just for these.” 

“It's alright, I was here anyway. I bumped into someone yesterday and was hoping to see them again.” 

“Oh?” Hiroko asked, perking up and smile turning amused. “Wouldn't have been a beautiful young woman that caught your eye, would it?” 

“Actually it was a man,” Victor said without thinking, then flushed at Hiroko's delighted giggle. “Oh, no, that's not what I meant!” he insisted, waiving his arms in distress. She looked thoroughly unconvinced. “I just need to speak with them. You see, they dropped something and...” He couldn't say he wanted to return it exactly. “I'd just like to make sure it ends up in the right hands.” 

Hiroko nodded. “And what does this beautiful stranger look like?” 

Victor resisted the urge to roll his eyes, cheeks still pink. “I didn't say he was beautiful. Although, now that you mention it, I suppose he was. But that's not the point.” He huffed out a frustrated breath. “He's about this tall,” he motioned, “dark hair, I think maybe black, and he looked young. Probably around twenty or so? Maybe a little older. Nothing remarkable about his clothes unfortunately, just a black cloak. Well, actually,” Victor tried to recall their tumble in the dust. “Now that I think about it, there may have been an Ilvermorny patch on the front.”

Hiroko looked unreasonably thrilled with this news. “Master Nikiforov, I might actually know who you're looking for,” she grinned. 

Victor was stunned. “Truly?” he asked weakly. 

“Only one way to find out,” she said, and she reached for the broach on her robe, rubies glittering in the fading sunlight. “Yuuri, dear,” she said into it, and the rubies began to glow. “Are you there?” 

After a moment a voice responded, a light and pleasant, “Yes, mom, what do you need?” 

“Master Nikiforov is here, that handsome Potions Master from Russia I was telling you about. We were just talking about you.” 

Victor could hear mortification in the silence that followed, ultimately interrupted by a squeal of, “Mom!” 

“Could you pop over for a minute, I think he's looking for you.” 

The disembodied voice sounded highly skeptical. “Looking for me?” he asked. “What for?” It was much more likely that his mother was holding the man hostage. 

“Just pop in, dear, only for a moment. The nice young man has something to ask you.” 

There was obvious hesitation. “If you've bullied another man into asking me out on a-” 

“No, no, not all!” Hiroko chirped happily, cutting him off. “Two minutes, dear,” she promised. 

Victor heard a disgruntled sort of sigh, and a few moments later there was a whirl of water like a mini hurricane, and just as soon as it appeared it splashed down onto the dirt, evaporating instantly. In its place stood a young man dressed in a dark traveling cloak, the hood up and hiding most of his features, but Victor could see the shine of bright brown eyes in the shadows. The new arrival was at Hiroko's side, her table of wares the only barrier between himself and Victor. After a pause, a light voice chanced a shy, “Hi.” 

Victor instantly recognized it. They may have only exchanged a few words, but he was sure that was the voice from yesterday. “Hi,” he echoed back. “I think we ran into each other yesterday.” 

“I don't think so...” Victor could just make out that stranger chewing hesitantly on his lip. “I don't socialize much in this town.” _Or any town_ , was the clear unspoken thought. 

“Yuuri's a little shy at first,” Hiroko said, putting her arm around her son. “But don't let that fool you. He was sorted into Thunderbird House for a reason. You're quite the thrill seeker, aren't you, dear?” 

Even from beneath the hood, his pink cheeks were visible. “Mom!” he hissed. “ _Please_. Stop.” 

Victor was too eager to question this man to be worried about what Ilvermorny dorm he belonged to. “Yesterday I teleported into Hasetsu's main square, and you bowled right into me. That was you, wasn't it?” 

Yuuri gasped and yanked his hood down to better see Victor. Victor wondered if he was perpetually blushing. “Oh! That! Again, I'm so sorry! Is that why you're here?” Hadn't he apologized enough yesterday? 

“Yes. No. You see-” Victor tripped over his tongue, going silent as he fumbled for his pouch. He wondered if he should pull Yuuri aside for this, if this was a dragon scale he wouldn't want to be flashing it out in the open. But even Victor was regretfully expecting a perfectly logical explanation for all this, so secrecy wasn't a top priority. “You dropped something, and I was hoping you could explain what it is. I've never seen anything like it.” 

Yuuri's expression was curious as Victor pulled out the cloth, but after Victor unwrapped the scale and held it out, his face lost most of it's color. Even the ever cheery Hiroko was frowning, glancing warily between the two of them. “Give that back!” he squeaked, grabbing for it over the table of herbs and powders. 

Victor pulled his hand back quickly enough to avoid him. “What is it?” Victor asked, heart rate picking up at the sight of such a reaction. So it _was_ something valuable, precious. This was no ordinary scale. 

“It's _mine_ ,” the young man all but growled. “How did you get that?” There was another whirl of water and suddenly they were face to face. 

Victor held his hand high over his head, noting he was a good deal taller than Yuuri. “You dropped it.” He recalled Yuuri shuffling around in the dirt frantically, looking for something, or perhaps ensuring he hadn't dropped anything. 

“I did not,” he glared. When his reach fell short of Victor's outstretched arm, he flicked his wrist and a spiral of water burst from his palm. That water encircled Victor's arm, and when it reached the fist he'd made around the scale, the liquid began pushing between his fingers, attempting to loosen his grip. “Release it, you thief.” 

Victor teleported just a foot away, watching the water fall to the ground and splash out of existence. He reached for his wand in case he would need more intricate defensive spells, realizing he'd been foolish not to expect this sort of reaction. In his excitement he'd anticipated answers, not a confrontation. 

The young man looked ready to charm another spout of water when Hiroko scolded, “Yuuri, you're making a scene.” 

The two men glanced around to see that they had indeed caught the attention of several shoppers nearby. Yuuri balled his fists angrily at his side. After a deep breath he spoke again, this time very clearly and slowly. “That scale belongs to me. How did you get it?” 

Victor warily stepped back closer to him in order to keep their conversation quiet and private. “Like I said, we bumped into each other yesterday. You must have dropped it, or it fell out of your pocket, because when I got home it was caught in my cloak.” Victor held it up between his thumb and forefinger. “It's beautiful,” he added. “I spent all night trying to figure out what creature it was from.”

Yuuri glanced at his mother before returning Victor's gaze. “And did you come to a conclusion then?” 

“It matched nothing in my textbooks,” Victor said. “My potions books didn't have any ingredient like it either. However, my lore books...” Yuuri was looking increasingly uncomfortable. “According to them, this matches the scale of the sui riu.” 

“Don't tell me you still believe in dragons at your age?” Yuuri asked weakly, trying to laugh but utterly failing. 

“I do,” Victor nodded. He held the scale out on his palm for Yuuri, but the younger man didn't make a move to grab it. “And that's what I think this is. Unless you can convince me otherwise.” The two just stared at each other for a few moments. Victor's heart was fluttering, hardly able to believe what was happening. Yuuri had no logical explanation for this?

The young man looked helplessly at his mother again, who smiled encouragingly despite the nervousness in her own eyes. He took a deep breath, then said to Victor, “You're right. It is from a sui riu.” Victor barely had time to cheer before Yuuri pleaded, “But please give it back. If word got out that dragons were here-” 

“That they were _here_?” Victor asked incredulously. “Try _anywhere_.” The fact that they were _real_... 

“You can't tell anyone!” Yuuri insisted. 

Now that was a problem, because Victor wanted to tell the world. “Why not?!” he cried. “This is what I've dreamed of my entire life! Imagine being able to study a dragon up close! There are so many things I want to know-” 

“Shh!” Yuuri hissed. “Keep your voice down.” 

“There's so much I want to ask you!” 

Yuuri looked as if he were seriously regretting ever having this conversation. “There's not much I can tell you,” he said firmly yet quietly. He finally plucked the scale from Victor's palm and looked it over quickly. “Yes, this at one point was on a dragon. But that's about it.” 

Victor's enthusiasm didn't wane, but he did frown a little in surprise. “That's all you know about it?” 

Yuuri shot him a look. “And how much do you know about dragons?” 

“Actually, quite a lot!” Victor announced happily. “I've read every book on them. I've spent my whole life looking for proof of dragons.” His eyes lit up. “Hey, what if we pool our knowledge? Maybe we could find the dragon this came from together! Clearly there's one around here. Have you already narrowed the location down?” 

“Ah – I don't think that's a good idea.” 

Victor deflated. “Why not?”

“Because I have no interest in finding dragons. All you're going to do is poke and prod it and make it miserable. I think they should be left alone. You may have spent your life searching for them, but I've spent my life ensuring no one ever finds them again." 

“So you _do_ know where they are?” Victor pressed. 

“I didn't say that,” Yuuri frowned. “I'm just saying I think you should leave them alone.” 

But Victor wouldn't hear it. He'd come too far to turn back now. “Yuuri... I mean them no harm. Honest. I just need to _see_. To _know_. I'm not leaving until you admit you know where they are and agree to show me.” 

“Fine. You don't have to leave,” Yuuri said, standing up straight and tall. “I will.” In a splash he was swallowed up in his mini hurricane and was gone. 

Victor was left with only Hiroko, who was packing up her table of supplies. “Hiroko...” He was at a loss for words. 

Hiroko levitated her table a few inches off the ground and prepared to set it to follow her on the short walk home. “I'm sorry, Master Nikiforov, but my son can be pretty protective. Give him a day or two to think it over. Maybe he'll change his mind.” 

He smiled weakly. “I don't suppose _you_ want to let me in on where our scaly friends live?” Hiroko chuckled and continued tidying up the last of her wares. “Alright,” he sighed, defeated for now. “I'll let him cool off and try again later.” He considered teleporting back home, but decided he'd rather stay locally. “Can you recommend a place for me to stay for a while?” 

Hiroko beamed. “As a matter of fact, I can.”


	2. May 2004

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to Yuuri's 5th year of school, 2nd year at Ilvermorny. Yuuri is a 5th year, Sara and Mickey are 4th years, Phichit and Seung Gil are 2nd years, JJ and Leo are 1st years. Used canon age differences and ended up with a bunch of young kiddos ^^; but hey, I work with what I'm given. And if Harry can defeat a mountain troll his first year, our group can tackle an adventure or two, right?
> 
> Also, while it's called Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, the same class is Creature Care at Ilvermorny. (I have spent way too much time researching the difference in schools.)

**May 2004**

**Yuuri's 5th Year of School**

Yuuri was certain if he stared at his tattered copy of Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them for one more minute his head was going to explode. With the end of his fifth year at Ilvermorny came the O.W.L.'s. He knew that studying for his O.W.L. in Creature Care wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected this level of difficulty. He felt he had the section on unicorns pretty well covered, but fire crabs and blast-ended skrewts... He'd never get this memorized by next Tuesday.

It was times like this that made him question his decision to transfer from Mahoutokoro to Ilvermorny two years ago. Not only was he far from home and everyone he knew, but he was studying complex magic in a foreign language. While rationally he knew the theories wouldn't be any different in Japanese, he couldn't help but think in stressful times like this that it may have been the easier route to stay in Japan. But then again, he had a lot of things to be thankful for too.

At the beginning of his third year of school, and the first at Ilvermorny, Yuuri was sorted into Thunderbird House. He'd been shocked, honestly, as the house was known for the more adventuresome type. He'd been expecting to be placed in Pukwudgie for his proclivity at healing spells, or maybe even Horned Serpent as representative of his studious side. He certainly wouldn't have picked Thunderbird for himself. But Thunderbird he was, and proud of it. That was where he met an energetic, talkative first year named Phichit. The two quickly bonded as newcomers to the school and Yuuri was happy to help Phichit get into the rhythm of studying magic. Over the course of the next two years their friend group expanded, usually relying on Phichit's outgoing nature finding them and Yuuri's mentoring aura helping them feel welcomed.

“Hey Yuuri!” The library table trembled under the onslaught of books as Phichit dumped out his school bag and plopped into the plush chair beside him. Leo, Seung Gil and JJ joined them around the table.

“Hey Peach,” he said without looking up from his notes. “Hey everyone,” he added absently.

“What are you reading?” asked Phichit, pulling the textbook over to look at it. “Aw, no fair! Your stuff is interesting!”

Yuuri rolled his eyes and pulled the book back from his friend. “Blast-ended skrewts are interesting? I think you're the first to ever say that.”

“It's better than Divination,” Phichit said, rummaging through his notebooks that had spilled everywhere.

Yuuri set his quill down. “Second years can't even take Divination. Yet you went through that whole ordeal at the beginning of the year to petition they make an exception and let you take the class, and you don't even like it? Why did you want to take it so badly?”

Phichit smiled sheepishly. “I did make a bit of a fuss, didn't I?” he laughed. “But it sounded so cool! Seeing the future, making prophecies...crystal balls! I thought it'd be the best class ever! Instead all we do is drink tea and talk about our dreams. I barely ever remember mine, how am I supposed to write an essay on dreams?” He pouted as he flipped open his notebook. “I don't know what any of this is supposed to mean.”

Yuuri sighed again and held out his hand for the notebook, and his best friend happily handed it over. He spent a few minutes going over Phichit's admittedly very vague dream notes and jotted down what little interpretation he remembered from his one year of the subject.

“I don't know why you'd want to take a boring class like that,” said JJ loudly. “Flying lessons are way more fun, plus way more useful to me as a future professional Quidditch player! I can't wait for the whole stadium to throw JJ Style when I catch the snitch!” He modeled his trademark move for them.

“First of all,” Phichit said, “You're not going to be a professional Quidditch player. And second of all, don't act like you chose flying as an elective. You don't have electives! You had to take flying lessons. First years only take the core curriculum.”

“I will too be a pro player! Just you watch! Next year when I'm on the team you'll see!”

“You know,” Seung Gil began, “The fact you didn't make it on the team your first year trying out isn't a good sign.”

“First years never make the team!” JJ sputtered.

“Didn't Harry Potter make the team his first year at Hogwarts?” asked Leo.

“Harry Potter was Harry Potter, that's not a fair comparison! And anyway, they let me practice with them, I just don't get put in the games this year!”

“Okay everybody, settle down,” Yuuri said, noticing the librarian shooting dirty looks their way from her desk. Sometimes he wondered why he'd adopted so many first and second years. “If JJ wants to play Quidditch, let him play Quidditch. At least he's got a career path in mind already. Now speaking of careers...unless you all want me to fail my O.W.L.'s, maybe we could all get to studying?”

The group quieted down and pulled out their books. As first years, JJ and Leo weren't covering topics any harder than spells like Wingardium Leviosa and Lumos, but Yuuri remembered at the time it felt just as challenging as his current studies when new. The second years, Phichit and Seung Gil, were excited to tackle subjects beyond entry level basics. The Crispino siblings, currently at Quidditch practice, were in their fourth year, leaving Yuuri the oldest and only one of their group in his fifth year. Their weekly study group was a good way for the older students to refresh their memory on spells they rarely used after learning, and the younger students could ask questions and maybe learn a new prank spell or two.

“Alohomora,” Leo whispered, pointing his wand at the bike lock on the table in front of him. “Alohomora. Alohomora? Alohomora...” It remained firmly locked. “I don't get it,” he grumbled. “This is supposed to be an easy one, isn't it?”

“You have to mean it,” Yuuri tried. “Really visualize the lock coming undone. If you sound bored or unsure the magic won't be...motivated?”

“Magic is motivated?” asked Leo with wide eyes. “The professor never said anything about that!”

“Well,” Yuuri hesitated, “I mean, I just found that I'm more successful that way? A halfhearted wand wave with a whisper doesn't always get results, but if you focus-” he pointed his wand at the lock “-Alohomora.” The lock popped open. “It usually works.”

“Wow! Okay! Let me try again,” Leo said as he locked it once more. “Alohomora. Alohomora...”

Yuuri watched as Leo poked and prodded the bike lock with a serious look on his face. It sat stubbornly still once more.

“He'll get it eventually,” Phichit laughed quietly. “Hey, I know you're busy with Creature Care stuff, but do you think I could practice my tarot reading with you?”

Yuuri bit his lip. He really did need to finish taking these notes. While the others had exams next week too, he was the only one sitting his O.W.L.'s and was feeling the pressure. Maybe he shouldn't have decided to sit all 8 this year. It wasn't like he needed half of them for his desired career in working with magical creatures... But when he'd try to weed out a class or two he'd always found a reason to keep the subject as a backup in case Creature Care didn't work out.

“Yeah, but I can only spare a few minutes.”

“I'll do a quick reading!” Phichit promised. “Just maybe five or ten minutes.” He fished through what was left in his school bag and brought out a deck of cards.

While Yuuri hadn't hated Divination when he'd taken it his third year, he hadn't liked it enough to continue. It was too fluid for his liking, no real right or wrong answer, and that made it hard to study for. He preferred potion making, transfiguration and creature care, where there were clear boundaries and rules to follow.

“Okay,” Phichit said, sitting up straight and lowering his voice to be dramatically serious. “Katsuki Yuuri, prepare for a glimpse at your future! I see a...” he flipped a card over. “Eight of cups. Right? Yeah. Eight of cups.”

Yuuri waited a moment. “What does that mean?” he prompted, assuming the reader was supposed to explain what was revealed.

“It's um, a good one, I think. Shoot why wasn't it one of the swords, I know those better.” Phichit flipped through his notes. “Okay! Um, abandonment.”

Yuuri blinked. “That's a good one?”

“No. Well. It might not necessarily be you that's abandoned. Maybe you abandon someone?”

“Like who?” he asked.

“Um. Well, it also means walking away from what you know into an unknown future. So like, strength and courage are in you. And it also represents travel.”

“So I'm going to travel somewhere unknown and experience some kind of abandonment, and I'll face it courageously and come out stronger because of it?”

Phichit's eyes lit up. “Yes! Exactly! Let me write that down, Professor Faustus will love that.” He scribbled furiously before flipping over another card. “Ten of wands. That's burden, responsibility, hard work and stress. Well, with O.W.L.'s coming up that makes sense. But also achievement! So you'll succeed and pass your exams!”

Yuuri laughed lightly. “I guess that's comforting. I don't really believe in this stuff much though.” He looked at the time on the wall. “Okay one more then I really need to get back to this Creature Care book.”

“Okay,” Phichit said, shuffling the cards and pulling out one more. “Oh.”

“Oh?” asked Yuuri. “What does it mean?”

“Well, it's a two of swords. Which normally shows a need for balance of thought and action. But it's upside down. So that means confusion and indecision. Like, information overload. And you'll need to compromise.”

“Compromise...on what?”

“I don't know,” Phichit admitted. “I haven't memorized much of the reverse cards yet.”

Yuuri sighed. “You only have a week until final exams, Peach. You should probably know what the cards mean.”

“Hey, I can read a crystal ball all day!” he said proudly. “Tea leaves? No problem! It's just there's so many different cards to remember...”

Yuuri picked up the three cards from the table and looked over their images. “Far off travel. A test of courage. Responsibility to make the right decision, a heavy burden, and a crucial compromise?”

Phichit nodded. “Yup.”

Yuuri handed the cards back with a sigh. “My future sounds pretty ominous.”

* * *

The two weeks of O.W.L.'s came and went, and Yuuri was relieved to pass all of his. “I somehow managed Outstanding in both Creature Care and Transfiguration,” he told Phichit over breakfast.

“Why do you sound surprised? You've been at the top of the class in both of those for as long as I've known you.”

“Well, Creature Care I was hoping for, but Transfiguration I thought I'd just get Exceeds Expectations.”

Phichit shook his head. “Yuuri you're the only one in your year that gets vanishing spells completely right in one try. And can't you do that doubling charm?”

“It's the gemino curse, and yeah I can, along with half the class. But I see what you're saying, I guess I'm not that bad at Transfiguration.”

“'Not that bad,' he says,” muttered Phichit incredulously as he took a sip of some pumpkin juice. “Well how did you do on the other ones?”

Yuuri looked down at his note to his mother updating her on his results. “I received an Exceeds Expectations in No Maj Studies, Herbology, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Acceptable in Potions.”

Phichit could clearly hear that Yuuri was focusing solely on his one 'Acceptable' rather than celebrating his success in the other classes. “Hey, you can't be the best at everything! And Acceptable is still passing! You got two Outstandings and four Exceeds! That's amazing!”

“Yeah, I guess,” he nodded quietly. “How did you do?”

“...I passed everything,” Phichit said cryptically, and Yuuri decided not to ask for the specific grading. “But hey, now that exams are done, we should celebrate!”

“Okay, we've only got one night left at the castle, I figured we'd spend it together. What do you want to do?”

Phichit shook his head. “No, I mean, why don't we all do something for summer break? I know you were looking forward to going home to Japan,” he said quickly when Yuuri started to protest, “But what if we just spent one week somewhere together first? Like, I don't know, go to the beach or camping or something. Hang out without school.”

Yuuri hummed in thought. He had been missing his family, but one more week away wouldn't kill him. It would be nice to have a week straight with friends without worrying about fitting studying into their time. “Yeah, that sounds like fun. But who did you have in mind joining us? I don't think Leo and Seung Gil's parents would let them go off with only us as chaperones.”

“Why not? You're almost sixteen! That's old enough to handle a few first years. And we can bring Michelle and Sara.”

“I'll think about it,” Yuuri promised.

* * *

In the end, they were both partly right. JJ had to return home to Canada right away, and Leo's parents weren't sure they were comfortable with Leo camping in Massachusetts with only their young school mates there. Their offered solution was hosting the group of friends in New Mexico, with the friends at a campground not far from their home where they could easily pop in if needed. They all felt better with an upperclassmen with them, and Yuuri was unofficially in charge of the group.

The first day was spent arranging the tent to their liking. Bewitched with an Undetectable Extending Charm, the tent had several small bunks, a bathroom, kitchenette and main seating area. Each student called dibs on a bed and began unpacking and arranging their living space.

That night, they sat around their campfire roasting marshmallows and chatting about school, all relieved the pressure of exams were finally over with.

“I don't know why wizards even bother with locking doors if anyone can just come up and use Alohomora to get in,” Leo was saying, still disgruntled by the fact he'd only barely managed to get the dial on the lock to turn during his exam.

“There's an Anti-Alohomora Charm that prevents that,” Yuuri said. “But no magical school teaches it because...well. Obviously students would use it.”

“How do you know about it then, Yuuri?” asked Seung Gil. “If it's not in any textbooks?”

He laughed lightly. “I have a very rebellious older sister. My parents needed a way to keep her out of stuff she shouldn't be in, and eventually Mari's Alohomora's stopped working on some of our locks. Mom and Dad never told me the incantation though.”

“I need to know what that spell is!” Mickey declared. “That way I can be sure none of you try to sneak into Sara's room!”

“Mickey!” she groaned. “I told you that you could only come on this trip with us if you promised to behave!”

“You do realize the tent has no separate rooms right?” Phichit asked. “It's just drapes that section bunks off, not locked doors?”

Mickey looked horrified, evidently having not realized that as they were setting up earlier. “My sister can't sleep unprotected in a tent full of guys!”

Sara hid her face in her hands. “This is why we don't get invited to half the group stuff!” The twins continued to bicker about boundaries and personal space, the rest of the group inching away to continue making s'mores in peace. Eventually Sara got frustrated enough to storm into the tent, Mickey hot on her heels.

“She's right you know,” Seung Gil said placidly, spearing another marshmallow. “A lot of people don't invite Sara because they know Mickey will tag along and be unbearable.”

“I like Mickey,” Leo countered. “He just needs to chill when it comes to Sara. Are you protective of your sister that way Yuuri?”

Yuuri tried to imagine telling Mari what she could and couldn't do. “Definitely not,” he laughed. “If anything, she's the protective one. But nothing like that.”

“Is she at Ilvermorny too?” asked Seung Gil. “You've mentioned her but I've never met her.”

“No, she went to Mahoutokoro. She graduated a few years ago. She worked for the ministry for a bit and now helps our family run the onsen. It's like a hot springs resort.”

Phichit looked like a light bulb went off. “Is that why you're so into water elementals? You grew up at a hot spring?”

Yuuri blinked. “I'm not into water...?” he asked, trailing off and utterly confused.

“Uh, yeah you are,” Phichit laughed. “Anything to do with water and you're an instant master at it.”

Yuuri blushed. “Name one thing,” he challenged.

“Aqua Eructo,” suggested Leo, making Phichit grin triumphantly.

“The bubble-head charm,” added Seung Gil.

Phichit counted off on his fingers. “Refilling charm. Water-heating spell. Water-making spell.”

“Okay I get it!” Yuuri said. “I guess I do have a knack for water spells. And I guess it is because of the onsen. Mom and Dad taught both of us them so we could help out with chores.”

“Wait wait wait,” Leo said, eyes wide. “Back up. Water-making spell? You mean Aguamenti?”

“Yeah,” answered Yuuri. “That was one of the first ones they taught me.”

“Whoa Yuuri, I didn't know you've known it that long,” said Phichit. “How were you able to get away with it without the trace alerting someone about underage magic?”

“Ah, well, the Japanese Ministry of Magic doesn't have all the same rules as MACUSA or the British Ministry. We don't have the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. Well I mean, we do, but it's more...reasonable?” The group stared at him. “We're allowed to practice spells at home with parental supervision. It really doesn't make sense that students in other countries can't practice at home. How are you supposed to remember what you've learned every year? And not even being able to do something like a simple levitation charm to lift something when you're sweeping around it? Or adjust the temp of the onsen a little? That's just silly.”

Seung Gil's normally blank expression was morphing into mild amazement. “But still Yuuri, Aguamenti is a N.E.W.T. Level spell. Are you saying you could do that as a kid?”

“Yes? But it's just water!” he insisted, still not understanding the astonishment on his friend's faces. “Let's talk about something else,” he said, and changed the subject.

* * *

The following days were spent swimming, hiking and generally having fun. Leo pointed out a few local creatures the international students had never seen before.

“Do you think we'll see a Thunderbird?” asked Sara as they carefully hiked back toward their campground.

“Those are more in Arizona,” Leo said. “It's not unheard of to find them in New Mexico, but they're pretty rare. The most exciting thing we're likely to find are firedrakes.”

“Oh, those sounded so cute in class! Little fire lizards. They're like real life dragons, don't you guys think?” Sara cooed.

“Uh, dragons are supposed to be big enough to fly on, right? Like as tall as a tree or something?” asked Phichit.

“Dragons are a myth,” Seung Gil said simply. “It just doesn't make scientific sense for a lizard to be that large and fly with such small wings. And if they're as big as people claimed, wouldn't we be seeing them all over the place? Nothing is that good at hiding this day and age.”

“I know they aren't real,” Sara said, exasperated. “I'm just saying that flying little lizards that breath fire are the closet thing we have to actual dragons. I hope we see one!”

“You probably will,” Leo assured her. “They're everywhere, just keep an eye out for them.”

Yuuri was silently picking his way along the rocky hill, thinking of all the beasts from his Creature Care class he'd love to see in person, when he happened to glance off to the right and a little orange shimmer caught his eye. He blinked and did a double take. “Hey, guys, do you see something over there?” he asked, pointing in the direction of the orange light.

They all stopped to look. “Yeah,” said Phichit. “Looks like another campfire.” The orange was moving, like flickering flames on a log.

“That's what I thought,” said Yuuri. “But...should we be able to see a small campfire from this far away?”

Sara piped up with, “Firedrake?”

“No,” said Leo. “They're only a few inches long at most, we wouldn't be able to see it. Though maybe it lit some grass on fire or something. They're known to start little wildfires, but they usually burn out quick enough. Fire doesn't spread that fast in a desert environment like this, but they set the odd cacti on fire now and then.”

“We should probably go check,” Yuuri said. “We wouldn't want it to get out of hand.”

Mickey shifted anxiously. “Why don't we call Leo's parents?” he suggested. “We shouldn't get too close if it's out of control.”

“It doesn't look that bad,” said Phichit. “Yuuri can put it out easy. Let's at least take a look.”

The group changed course from their own campground to the slowly growing orange glow. As they approached they heard shouting, and the ground trembled with a loud reverberating boom. They all jumped in surprise and nervously looked at each other.

“We need to call someone,” Mickey insisted. “We shouldn't go over there!”

“You guys heard the shouts right? What if someone's in trouble? We can't wait,” Yuuri insisted. He estimated they were only a few hundred yards away. Still, he was responsible for the group. “You guys wait here, I'll go see if I can help. Leo call your parents!”

“You can't go alone, Yuuri!” Phichit protested as his best friend pulled his wand out from his pocket and took off in the direction of the noise. Phichit tore after him, fumbling for his own wand.

“Hey – guys!” Sara shouted, taking a few steps after them before Mickey grabbed her arm. “Mickey!”

“What are you doing, Sara? He said stay here!”

“We can't just let them go alone!” she argued. Her voice was drowned out at the end by a terrible roar. “What was that?” she shrieked. The others all stared wordlessly back at her for a moment before they all sprinted in the direction Yuuri and Phichit had gone.

* * *

Yuuri had momentarily lost sight of the flames when the trail had lead him to a collection of large boulders. He ran quickly around them, stumbling when a roar caused the ground to shake beneath him. He still heard shouting, and as fast as he could he rounded the boulders and slid to a stop to take in the scene before him.

There was a flat patch of scorched earth before him, surrounded by boulders and small dirt mounds on every side with the exception of the opening in which Yuuri stood. Within the confines of the natural barriers were a witch and a wizard, both with their wands out trying to shoot ropes from their wands across the back of a large beast with wings. They were shouting at each other, but Yuuri couldn't comprehend what they were saying at first.

His eyes were glued to a large dark figure lying still on the ground beside the struggle. The large beast lay panting, ropes tied around a large scaly muzzle, eyes struggling to blink. The few times it managed Yuuri thought the eyes were rolling, as if it were taking all it's energy to stay awake. It huffed angrily, and even from several yards away Yuuri could feel the heat from the steam as it came from its nostrils.

“Oh my god,” Yuuri breathed, unable to look away. He felt Phichit arrive at his side and stop dead in his tracks, heard his friend gasp. The two creatures were a monstrous size, covered in scales that reflected the flames of the burning bushes around them. Their tails were as long as their bodies, and from their backs sprouted large, leathery wings.

“Y-Yuuri, are those-”

“Who are you?” cried the wizard, noticing Yuuri and Phichit at the entrance of the secluded area. “Alice, we have company! Take care of them while I get this thing back under control!” The wizard let the ropes from his wand fall to the ground and began firing a barrage of green and red sparks at the beast. It reared back, crying in pain and anger, and after a large inhale it shot a burst of flames from it's mouth. The wizard expertly shielded himself in a sphere of water until the flames went out, then returned to firing sparks.

Yuuri noticed the witch making her way around the stomping beast, and quickly shouted, “Duck!” as he shoved Phichit to the ground before a green light flashed above their heads. They crawled behind a few large boulders, panting and trying to understand what just happened.

“Are they shooting at us?” Phichit screeched as Yuuri panted, “Were those dragons?” They answered “Yes” to each other in unison.

“Yuuri!” they heard Sara call. “Are you alright?”

“Get down!” Yuuri and Phichit yelled together, and with a squeak Sara pulled Leo and Seung Gil down behind cacti while Mickey darted over to the two boys.

“What – How -” Mickey spluttered, shrinking down lower as red grazed his hair. “What did we run into?”

“I think those are dragons and those are dragon poachers,” said Yuuri numbly.

“But dragons don't exist!” Mickey challenged.

“You have a better explanation for what's going on?” Phichit snapped. “How do we get out of here? Can anyone Apparate yet?” They both looked hopefully to Yuuri.

Yuuri shook his head. “No, that's next year. You guys should run back the way we came.”

Phichit heard that loud and clear. “Uh, and what about you?” he frowned.

“I'll be right behind you,” he lied. Rationally he knew he had to get out of there, but...the animal lover in him couldn't stand the thought of losing two magnificent creatures forever. Dragons weren't supposed to be real, but here they were, about to be killed or caught and gone forever.

“I don't think so,” Phichit glared. “We're all leaving together.”

Yuuri rolled over and got to his knees, peeking over the boulder. The witch was once again focused on containing the struggling dragon with her partner, seemingly satisfied that she'd scared off the nosy kids. Yuuri watched in horror as it become more and more apparent that their goal was not to catch the dragon but kill it, their spells slowly chipping away it's scales and leaving nasty gashes in its flesh. There were so many holes in the poor creatures wings he doubted it would ever be airborne again. He noticed that every time it broke free from the ropes it was trying to make it's way left, despite the fact the clear exit was straight ahead towards the students.

Yuuri followed the direction with his eyes, trying to locate what the dragon was going back for. Perhaps the legends were true and it hoarded treasure? Maybe the duo were after gold. He scanned the area multiple times before his eyes fell on a tarp, clearly laid over a large crate or box of some type. He suspected he'd been right and the two had started boxing up the loot. That was until he saw the little tail sticking out on the side, and noticed now and then the crate would tremble.

“Oh god,” Yuuri said, ducking back down. “There's a baby. They have the baby.”

“What?” asked Mickey. “What baby?”

“There's a baby dragon in that crate!” Yuuri said. “That's why the adult is fighting rather than fleeing. Oh my god. What do we do?”

Phichit and Mickey knelt up to see. “Yuuri!” Phichit gasped, and Yuuri once again sat up to look. “The fire!”

The last shot of flames from the struggling dragon had set ablaze some dry bushes close to the crate. Yuuri knew it was only a matter of time before the wooden crate went up in flames with the little creature inside. He had no idea if dragon scales were flame resistant. Judging by the new frenzy the adult dragon was now in, he guessed not.

“Kill it already!” they heard the witch scream.

“I'm trying!” the wizard snapped back. “It's a lot tougher than the female!”

Yuuri's eyes went back to the dragon on the ground, noticing that it had dragged itself several yards closer to the crate, though was still panting heavily and no longer moving. There was enough blood smeared in the dirt to make Yuuri feel sick to his stomach.

“I have to help it,” he said quietly, gripping his wand tightly.

“Are you crazy?” asked Mickey. “If the dragons don't kill you the poachers will!”

“I can't just let the little one burn! They clearly don't care enough to help it!” The two poachers were entirely focused on killing the male dragon and didn't seem at all concerned that the crate was nearly on fire.

“I'll distract them,” Phichit said without hesitation.

“Peach, no!” Yuuri shouted in surprise, but Phichit had already hopped to his feet and bounced around the boulders.

“ _Periculum_!” Phichit held his wand up and red sparks shot into the sky, bursting into fireworks. The dragons's head whipped around to face him, and the two poachers turned his way too. “Fumos!” he added, instantly hiding himself in a cloud of smoke.

Yuuri cursed his over eager friend but at the same time had to take advantage of his clever ruse. While sparks flew in the direction Phichit had last been seen, Yuuri crept along the ring of rock and dirt, mostly hidden within the smoky haze, until he made it to the crate. He could hear chirping from inside, and now and then the crate would rock like it's occupant was throwing itself against the wooden planks,

“Hey there,” he cooed, though the little dragon seemed to only increase its thrashing. “Shh, shh, shh, it's okay,” he quickly assured. “I'm here to help.” He aimed his wand at the base of the crate. “Aguamenti,” he whispered, and started dousing the crate, dirt and surrounding bits of dry grass with water to prevent the fire from getting too close.

He only had a few minutes to work before he was spotted. “Hey! Get away from that, brat!” He ducked behind the crate as the witch sent a barrage of spells after him.

“Expelliarmus!” he heard a familiar voice shout, and looked between the wooden planks to see Sara trembling with her wand aimed at the witch. Spell having struck true, a moment later Sara was catching the woman's wand in her free had. She looked stunned that it had worked.

“Antonin, that bitch has my wand!”

Before Sara had the sense to defend herself, Mickey was in front of her, sending “ _Finite Incantatem_ ” to counter whatever the wizard had planned for his sister. He followed it up with a few hexes, causing Antonin to focus on deflecting them. In his moment of distraction, the male dragon whipped it's tail and flung him into the wall of rock behind him. Dazed, the man's head swiveled as he tried to collect himself.

Yuuri watched as the dragon turned to face the wizard on the ground. In a moment Yuuri realized exactly what the dragon intended and sprung forward shouting, “Aguamenti!” His spiral of water intercepted the dragons flames in time for the stunned Antonin to avoid being burnt to a crisp. “Expelliarmus!” he added, reaching to catch the wizard's wand as it approached.

Alice ran to the man's side, quickly throwing herself over him before twisting out of existence, presumably disapparating away now that they were both left wandless against a dragon and unknown number of unexpected guests.

Yuuri was relieved for a only a moment, for the dragon turned it's attention to him next, and he was fairly certain he couldn't reason with it. “Oh-Aguamenti!” he cried, creating a shield of water before himself to keep the latest breath of flames from him. “Phichit? Now what?” he called as he ran to take cover.

“I don't know! Does anyone know Parseltongue? It's a reptile right?”

“Why would any of us know Parseltongue?!” Sara shouted from her hiding spot.

“Can we leave now?” Leo called over the loud stomping of the dragon, the large beast pacing and turning, trying to figure out which of them was the biggest threat. “We saved it, right?”

As much as Yuuri was loathe to leave a creature so injured, he had no training in fixing wounds to this degree, never mind any knowledge of the species. Still, “If we could just calm it down-”

“Calm it down?” asked Mickey incredulously.

“Yuuri I think we're done here!” called Phichit.

Realizing his friends were right, and he would be putting them in unnecessary risk if they stayed, he looked for a way out. He really didn't see any choice but making a run for it. He prepared to set off another smoke screen for cover when the dragon let out one last burst of flames before stumbling and falling to the ground.

After the large impact it grew eerily quiet. The wind had blown the remnants of Phichit's smoke away and the dust finally settled, leaving the group with a clear view of the still area. Both dragons lay on the ground, the male grunting in pain as it heaved heavy breaths, the female's belly rising so slowly and silently Yuuri thought she may not be breathing at all. He slowly stepped out from beside the crate, and at the movement the female weakly snorted, her breath just hot enough to feel pleasantly warm on his skin and strong enough to blow the light tarp off the crate. Immediately the chirping began again, and the female snorted once more.

Yuuri looked at the crate and saw a little brown dragon pressed against the planks, snout wedged out between two boards and tail whipping wildly. Snapping into action, Yuuri hurried around to the front of the crate to look for a lock. “Guys, give me a hand,” he called. The group tentatively made their way over, weaving between the two dragons who were eyeing them suspiciously, though clearly too exhausted to move. The male had just enough left in him to send a small burst of flames their way, and Yuuri stepped aside to douse the flames and any left nearby.

“Alohomora,” Leo said, concentrating as hard as he could and looking pleased with himself when the lock fell to the ground. He and Seung Gil were immediately thrown to the side when the crate's door flew open and the little dragon was free.

“Oh shoot, can this one breath fire too?!” Phichit gasped, looking around wildly for cover. They clearly hadn't thought that through before opening the crate.

But attacking them was the last thing on the little one's mind. It made a beeline for the female, sniffing her snout and nuzzling against her neck. The little thing was barely the size of her head. She huffed and closed her eyes. After a minute or so the young dragon waddled it's way over to the male, repeating the sniffing and nuzzling before returning to the female.

The group watched with heavy hearts as the baby continued to travel between the two for several more minutes, clearly wondering why they were not rising to comfort and play now that the threat was gone.

Yuuri tentatively stepped closer to what he assumed was the little dragons mother. She blinked at him but otherwise made no movement. He cautiously knelt beside her, keenly aware of her deadly fangs and sharp claws. After a minute of silence, in which he hoped conveyed he was not here to hurt, he reached out a hand and gently placed it on the scales of her neck. They were clearly thick like armor, and he wondered what sort of terrible, heinous spells would have to have been sent her way to penetrate them. With his other hand he held up his wand. With a quick gesture the ropes binding her untied themselves and fell to the dirt. “Vulners Sanentur,” he said quietly, and watched as the gashes in the dragons flesh began to knit themselves together. “Lenio,” he added, and liquid opal droplets fell from his wand, dripping onto the sores and alleviating their pain. As the liquid dripped down her neck and shoulders, Yuuri noticed that what he thought was dark scales were actually lighter. He passed his wand over to Phichit, who had crept up beside him, and his friend continued to deliver the pain alleviating spell. Yuuri bunched up his shirt in one hand and wiped at the scales closest to him. Beneath the caked blood and dirt were bright blue scales, dazzling even in the dark light of dusk.

He could only imagine the sight she'd be soaring in the sunlight. “You're so beautiful,” he whispered. She blinked at him. “I'm so sorry they hurt you.”

Yuuri felt a little bump, and looked to see the young dragon beside him, looking at him curiously. Yuuri reached out a hand and it eagerly nuzzled into it, chirping and climbing up into his lap, looking between him and his mother. “Hi there,” Yuuri smiled softly. He tried to pat the little one on it's back but it wiggled too much. “Hold still, we're trying to help your mom.” Yuuri immediately likened it to a dog, similar in size and eagerness for attention. 

The brown ball of energy chirped again and scurried out of Yuuri's lap and started across the enclosure towards the male. It looked over it's shoulder at Yuuri expectantly. “Phichit, can I have my wand back? I'm going to check on the dad.”

“Are you sure?” Phichit asked, handing back his wand. “It seemed pretty aggressive.”

“I'll be careful,” he promised, and gave Phichit a run down on the healing spells before following the small dragon. The male was a reddish brown color, and Yuuri assumed that's where the baby got his coloring from most. “Um, hello,” he said awkwardly as he approached. “Can I...try to help you?” A grunt and a little burst of flames was his answer. “Okay. So you're in a little better shape than mom. That's good. I think.”

Sara and Mickey slowly joined him. “Are you sure you should be doing this? What if it gets up and eats us?” asked Mickey.

“Mickey it's not going to eat us,” Sara said, exasperated. “We just saved it. It knows that.” She paused. “Right, Yuuri?”

“Ah, I'm not sure if it understands that exactly,” Yuuri admitted. “I think it gets the idea...but I wouldn't blame it if it was suspicious.” He held his wand tightly and repeated the healing spells, watching the wounds stitch together and pain relief drip onto the scars, all the while keeping one eye on the dragons muzzle. The second it opened he was either surrounding himself in a sphere of water or throwing up a few shield spells. Luckily it didn't seem to come to that.

“I think I got them all, Yuuri,” Phichit called. “Her breathing looks a little better too.” He glanced over and saw that she apparently was taking deeper breaths, as he could easily see her belly rising and falling.

“Good job, Phichit!” He looked back at the male. The aggression seemed to be gone from its expression, replaced with a cautious gratitude. Yuuri smiled before letting out a yelp as he was pushed to the ground from behind. “Whoa!” he coughed, rolling over onto his back to see what happened. A slimy rough tongue dragged all along his face. “Oh, wow, dragon breath is horrible,” he laughed, pushing the little dragon off him gently. It bounded away to hop over its fathers massive back, sliding down it's side and running up to do it again, utterly carefree and unaware of the circumstances. “Hey, come down here!” Yuuri called. “That might hurt your dad!” To his surprise the baby slid down to his side, looking expectantly up at him.

“Dude,” Phichit giggled. “You're like the dragon whisperer.”

“It's a coincidence,” Yuuri assured him, though he looked at the little one thoughtfully.

“You've got all three listening to you,” Leo pointed out.

Yuuri frowned and continued to make his way along the side of the male, making sure he hadn't missed a spot. “I'm not telling the adults to do anything.”

“But they calmed down. They're letting you near them. They clearly sense you're here to help.”

Yuuri couldn't help a little sense of pride from bubbling up. All his years of Creature Care had paid off. He'd always known he'd wanted to help magical creatures, but he'd always expected magizoology to take him along the veterinarian route, or maybe a handler for some of the Gringotts vaults more intense security systems. Even a professor at Ilvermorny. But suddenly he was filled with an intense protectiveness. Were other dragons out there? Were they suffering this way too?

Could he help them?

“Let's just focus on getting them cleaned up,” he said. He showed Leo and Seung Gil how to perform the healing spells and set them to work on the hind legs and tail. “The second it tries anything, do a Knock-Back Jinx. I'm...pretty sure it will work on something this big.” The two nodded, not looking all that comforted.

Yuuri slowly sprayed off both dragons with water. He tried showing Sara and Mickey how to do it, but despite insisting that he was able to do Aguamenti since he was 10 so they should have no problem, neither one was able to get more than a few drops at a time. It was slow going, hosing down two fully grown dragons, but Yuuri didn't want to use too much pressure and risk reopening any of the wounds. He was very concerned by the amount of scales that littered the ground, the amount of flesh visible. Did scales grow back?

It also didn't help that the little one kept jumping on him. At one point Yuuri wound up holding the dragon in his left arm and spraying down the adults with his right. He couldn't believe that not only did dragons exist, but one was apparently very attached to him. He noticed that it didn't go running into the arms of the others, and while confused, he was privately pleased to have been chosen.

After almost an hour they had successfully washed off the blood and grime and attended to any wounds they could see. The dragons hadn't rolled over, so there was no way to know if they had injuries on their other sides. Yuuri also had no idea how to repair the wing damage. He'd studied hippogriffs and pixies, both of which flew, but neither had wings like these. He'd have to look up bats when he got home, they seemed the most comparable.

Wait a minute.

When he got home...

“Hey, guys,” he started. Sara looked up from where she'd been petting the little dragon. “What do we do now?”

“What do you mean?” asked Phichit. “I think we did all we could.”

“No, I mean... Do we just...leave them?” Yuuri asked.

The others got quiet, looking between the dragons. “Oh,” said Sara quietly.

“Guys, my mom would flip if we brought three dragons home,” Leo said. “Flip and then probably call the newspaper. Or ministry. Or both.”

“How would we get them to your house anyway?” asked Seung Gil.

Yuuri's gut twisted at the thought. “We can't call the ministry. We can't tell anybody about them. Look what those people did to them.”

“Yeah, but not everyone is out to kill them. I mean no one else knows they're real, so...no one else wants to kill them. Right?” asked Mickey.

“It stands to reason that if those two knew, others must know,” said Seung Gil. “They seemed to know what they were doing, and came prepared to capture the infant. I expect there's some kind of black market trade for dragons.”

“I agree with Yuuri, we can't risk this getting out,” said Phichit. “Even if we called the ministry, they'd just lock the dragons up in a cage to study them. That's not right.”

“I'll think of something,” Yuuri said. “I need to sleep on it. Until then, let's go back to the tent and get some rest.” They all stood and gathered their things, including the two wands they accidentally stole, and started for the opening of the clearing. They were just about out when a chirp sounded behind them.

They turned to see the little brown dragon sitting behind them, looking curiously at them. Yuuri glanced back to the adults, then down to the baby. “You have to stay here,” he said. “Your mom and dad are worried about you.” He took a few steps and the baby followed. “Oh boy. Okay. Um, I guess we shouldn't just leave you here in case you wander away.” He bent down and picked up the little dragon, but only got a few steps away before a roar sounded behind him. He saw the blue female attempting to stand on wobbly legs, her wounds healed but she'd still lost a lot of blood and was rather weak. The male was beating his tattered wings in an attempt to help lift himself up to his feet. “Whoa whoa whoa! Okay! Nope, not taking Baby!” Yuuri called, setting the dragon down quickly. He tried to step away but it followed. “Oh no.”

“Yuuri?” asked Phichit.

Yuuri scratched anxiously at the back of his neck. “I guess I'll just stay here tonight. You know. To make sure it doesn't wander off.”

“You're just going to sleep in the middle of the desert?” asked Mickey. “You know how dangerous that is? Even without the dragons?”

“I'll be okay, I'll put up some protective enchantments. It'll be fine.” His friends looked at each other and sighed.

“We'll go get the tent,” Phichit said.

“What? You guys don't have to-!”

“Safety in numbers,” Sara said. “And anyway, we don't want you or them getting hurt either.”

“Leo and Seung Gil, you stay with Yuuri. Sara, Mickey and I will go get the tent. We'll be back in an hour.” The trio set off before they could be argued with, so Yuuri headed back into the semi-circle of boulders and shooed the baby dragon towards its mother. She immediately seemed relieved and laid back down, tail curling possessively around the dragon.

By the time their friends arrived with the tent Leo had started a small campfire with the wood from the crate. They set the tent up with a few spells and layered some enchantments on it – fireproofing being the main one, and an alarm if anything got too close.

They all settled in to sleep, but Yuuri's brain was buzzing. It was really starting to hit him that dragons were real, and he'd just healed two, and one really liked to tackle him. What would they do once Yuuri and his friends left? Were they strong enough to survive on their own? Could they catch food? What did they eat? Did they live here or were they being transported by those poachers? Who knew about dragons and why wasn't it public knowledge?

Most of all Yuuri was trying to convince himself the right thing to do was leave them alone. They were wild animals. He gave them a head start by healing the wounds, that was all he could really do, right? He couldn't just take them back to Ilvermorny with him.

Though...he wasn't going right back to Ilvermorny. After this trip he would be spending the summer in Hasetsu. They had some land with the onsen... It was a far cry from New Mexico desert, but it was spacious. They had a lot of privacy spells up to keep the non magical folk from noticing some of their clientele... surely they could expand upon that. But none of that really mattered until he figured out how one would even transport a dragon.

Well... He did know someone who removed Acromantula's from Mahoutokoro's grounds before. Those were pretty big. And that same person had humanely sedated and relocated a rogue mountain troll.

Yuuri rolled over and threw his blanket over his head before reaching into his bag beside him and pulling out a small pin with a ruby on it. “Mari,” he whispered. “Are you awake?”

“It's noon here, little brother, of course I'm awake,” came the sarcastic voice of his older sister. “What's up?”

“I need your help with something. You see-”

“Wait a minute!” interrupted Phichit, and Yuuri peaked out from under his blanket to look over at his friend.

“What?” he asked, wondering if he'd somehow heard Yuuri's mental plan.

“This is outrageous! How the heck did I only get an Acceptable in Divination when ALL of my tarot readings were right?!”

Yuuri sighed and shook his head. “Go to sleep, Peach,” he said affectionately. Quiet, he continued, “Mari, you won't believe this. But you can't tell anyone!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time - it was fully my intention to kill off mama and papa dragon, but when the time came...I just couldn't do it. So my plan for this story needs a few tweaks, because only baby was supposed to be smuggled home to Hasetsu and that would have been a lot easier of a task for Yuuri & Co.! Phichit's prediction of abandonment was originally the baby being left alone, but I now interpret it as the poachers abandoning the dragons to die after their retreat. 
> 
> A moment of appreciation for Phichit's reading being spot on :)


	3. Worthy of Your Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor immediately adores the Katsuki's, but Yuuri is unwilling to accept a stranger so easily. Can this man be trusted?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing this journey with me! I am so surprised and pleased with the number of kudos left! It's been almost 8 years since I wrote any fanfiction, so I was very nervous to try my hand at it again, but I am feeling very comforted with the response this story has had. Much love to you all! Enjoy this update!

**May 2010**

**Yu-Topia Katsuki**

Yuuri was pacing the length of his sister’s bedroom as she lounged on the bed. “I don’t get why you didn’t just deny everything,” Mari was saying. “You could have told him he was crazy.”

“I know,” Yuuri moaned. “But I was so caught off guard by the whole thing, and I’m a terrible liar, you know that. Plus the whole time I was thinking ‘Oh my god Mom’s been talking to _Victor_ _Nikiforov?’_ She only ever refers to him as That Handsome Potions Master From Russia. Or Master Nikiforov, and I just assumed it was a common last name because _why_ would my mom be chatting with Victor Nikiforov?”

“Am I supposed to know who he is?” asked Mari.

Yuuri sighed. “He’s apparently really good at brewing potions. I’ve never used anything made by him, but people at school swear he’s the best in the world. His picture’s even in our textbooks.”

Mari raised an eyebrow in confusion. “A Potions Master’s picture is in your Creature Care textbook?”

“No,” Yuuri corrected. “He’s in the Potions book, but I’ve seen it in the staff lounge. All the students at Ilvermorny are in love with him. And half the staff too.”

“Including you?” asked Mari with a smirk.

“No!” Yuuri said defensively. “I am just _aware_ that he is brilliant in brewing. And that when he graduated from Durmstrang there were rumors he was being scouted for the Russian Quidditch team. I’m pretty sure every country’s ministry was trying to recruit him too.”

“Sounds like a pretty big deal,” Mari said. Yuuri nodded. “So what’s he doing here in Hasetsu?”

Yuuri sank down onto the end of her bed with a groan. “I don’t know! Buying stuff from Mom I guess. One minute everything’s under control and the next thing you know _Victor Nikiforov_ is demanding I tell him dragons exist.”

“Which, again, you could have just denied.”

Yuuri shot her a look. “I was in shock. No one’s ever asked me that before. No one’s ever had a scale in their hand while asking either.” He sighed. “And he’s not a total stranger, Mom knows who he is. I just hope that’s the last I see of him. And that he doesn’t tell anyone.”

“You know how that goes,” Mari warned. “’I won’t tell anyone’ turns into ‘I’ll just tell _one_ person’ and then they just tell one person…”

“Well it didn’t seem right to keep it from JJ when we got back to school,” Yuuri said, recalling how awkward their group had been with everyone knowing but him. “Looking back I guess we should have seen it coming that he’d tell Isabella. Luckily she didn’t believe him, and neither did anyone else he tried to brag to.” Their group had a few jokes made at their expense for his remaining two years at Ilvermorny, Yuuri in particular as the silly Prefect rumored to still believe in fairy tales. He hadn’t minded really, the more people who thought it was ridiculous, the better.

Before they could continue a paper bird darted through the crack of the slightly opened door. It flew to Mari and unraveled as she reached for it. She huffed out a light chuckle. “I wouldn’t hold your breath on never seeing Nikiforov again.”

“What? Why?” asked Yuuri. “Is that from him? Is he asking for answers already?”

“Worse,” Mari smiled. “He’s asking for a room.” At Yuuri’s blank look she explained, “At the inn.”

“Huh?!” gasped Yuuri, hopping to his feet and grabbing the note. It was from their mother, asking that he please come down and help Master Nikiforov find his way around. “He can’t stay here!” Yuuri tore out of the room.

* * *

Victor was looking around the front room of the inn with pure delight. “I had no idea you ran an inn!” he beamed. “It’s amazing!”

“Wait until you try Hiroko’s cooking,” Toshiya said proudly. “ _That’s_ amazing!”

Hiroko waved the compliment away with a smile and light blush. “Well come in, come in. I’ll show you to the dining room. I’ve just sent a bird for Yuuri to come down for you.”

“Oh,” said Victor in surprise. “You don’t need to bother him. I was thinking I would talk to him tomorrow.”

“It’s no bother,” Hiroko assured him. “He was due down for dinner soon anyway.” As if on cue, Yuuri skidded around the corner. “Yuuri! Perfect timing. Could you please show Master Nikiforov to the family dining room?”

“The family room?” asked Yuuri as Victor said, “Just Victor is fine, really.”

“Yes,” said Hiroko happily. “Victor is an old friend, we can’t have him out in the public dining room by himself.”

Victor beamed before noticing the incredulous look on Yuuri’s face. “I don’t want to intrude,” he said, weakly putting up a fight.

Yuuri grit his teeth. “Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said. She shooed Victor toward Toshiya who took up the responsibility of getting their guest to the dining room.

“What are you doing?” Yuuri asked. “He can’t stay here! He shouldn’t be here, how does he even know we have an inn?”

“I walked with him from the town square, he was looking for a place to stay.” Yuuri ran a hand down his face in exasperation. “Victor is a kind man, I’ve known him for years. I think once you relax and get to know him you’ll like him.”

Yuuri sighed. “I’m sure he’s great. And I understand that you’ve known him for a while and are comfortable around him, but you’re forgetting one key thing. _Dragons._ He’s after them.”

“I won’t say anything on the topic,” Hiroko promised. “I don’t take the Fidelius Charm lightly.” The location of the dragons lair was inaccessible to all but Yuuri’s chosen Secret Keepers. His parents and sister had originally been the only ones, even his friends from Ilvermorny couldn’t get there on their own. Whenever one of their friends from that fateful camping trip wanted to visit, Yuuri would meet them at a neutral location. The only one who had eventually been trusted enough as a Secret Keeper was Phichit.

Yuuri relaxed a little. “I know you don’t. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do in this situation.”

“Try talking to him,” Hiroko said. “Just one conversation. If you sense any red flags we’ll have him check out first thing in the morning.”

He nodded. “Okay. If he’s as nice as you say, he’ll respect that I want him to leave me alone.”

* * *

The family sat around the dinner table with Hiroko and Toshiya on either end, the siblings beside each other and Victor across from Yuuri. The Russian was eager to ask Yuuri questions but was trying to keep the conversation on 'getting to know you' topics like asking what life was like in Hasetsu for Hiroko and Toshiya and what Mari did for a living.

“I used to work for the Ministry,” she said. “Right out of Mahoutokoro I got a job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.”

“Really?” asked Victor. “Wow! You must have seen so many unusual animals!” He glanced at Yuuri, wondering if his sister was his inspiration for going into the care of magical creatures. “What exactly did you do?”

“I was in the Beast Division. Started off in the Pest Sub-Division.” She shrugged like that wasn't anything of interest.

“After only two years Mari was on the Pest Advisory Board,” Toshiya added proudly.

Victor's eyes sparkled. “Wow! What kind of pests did you work with?” he asked.

“Nothing too extreme at first, my first few months were spent responding to calls about bundimum infestations,” she said. “It's a greenish fungus looking thing, with its eyes closed it could probably pass as a plant. If you don't have a large infestation you can handle it on your own, but once it gets to a certain point it could rot your floors, supports...your whole house could collapse. Worse than termites, really. See it mostly in older homes.”

“I've never seen one myself, but I've used the acidic ooze it spits out in some of my cleaning solutions,” Victor said. “Raw it's pretty nasty, like you said, but if diluted properly it does wonders on tough tile stains! What does the ministry do with it after they displace it from a wizard's home?”

“Well...nothing,” she said, surprised by the question. “We were called in to get rid of it, not re-home it. It's destroyed in the extermination process.”

“Oh,” said Victor, brightness in his expression dimming a bit. It was only a bundimum, he supposed, same as mice and cockroaches. He still didn't think he'd have the stomach to kill something, pest or not. “Was your main role exterminating things then?” Suddenly the job seemed much less glamorous.

Mari shrugged. “It was a big part, but not the only thing. We raised albino bloodhounds, that was cool. We used them to chase off nogtails.”

“Nogtails?” asked Hiroko.

“We have them in Russia! They're a demon that looks like a pig with exceptionally long legs and creepy black eyes.”

“They bring a curse to whatever farm they're on,” Yuuri added. “I just taught my second years about them. They sneak into pigsties and suckle on the ordinary pigs with their piglets. The longer they stay the worse the curse gets. Only a pure white dog can chase them off.”

“Your second years?” asked Victor. “Do you teach?”

“Ah, yeah,” Yuuri nodded, still a little uncomfortable with Victor's full attention on him. “It's my third year at Ilvermorny. I teach Creature Care.”

“That sounds like fun,” Victor said with a smile. “And you both focused on the same area. Does that line of work run in the family?” he asked, glancing at their parents.

“Not really,” Toshiya laughed. “I was more of a charms man, myself. Helped with the onsen. We've had this inn for several generations now. Most of the maintenance and upkeep relies on charms, not to mention the security measures to keep muggles away.”

“Then there are some of the larger clients that require larger pools,” Hiroko added. “We have a few friends who are half-giants, so we've gotten pretty good at Undetectable Expanding Charms over the years.”

Victor blinked in surprise. “I didn't think about that. What other types of guests do you get?”

“Oh a little of everyone,” Hiroko said. “Witches and wizards mostly, but it's not uncommon to have a centaur or two. They're not particularly friendly with wizards, but the hot waters draw all types in. House elves come with their families, the goblins from the banks come fairly frequently... You never know who might pop in,” she said. “We had to add an extra fireplace to accommodate all the floo powder traffic, and we've reworked the yard several times to allow for landings of all sorts of methods of transportation, from brooms to flying carpets to hippogriffs. Concealing guests coming and going is really the hardest part, but Toshiya is very clever with those types of charms. We haven't had any issues with muggles suspecting anything for almost two decades.”

“It sounds like you have your hands full,” Victor said. “How do you find time to run your ingredient stand as well?”

“Mari has been helping with the onsen for several years now,” Hiroko said, looking to her daughter to elaborate.

“I didn't care much for some of the rules the ministry was implementing regarding magical creatures,” she said. “We started butting heads on too many topics, I didn't agree with what the Advisory Board was doing, so a few years ago I left and started helping out the family business.”

“We're one of the only onsens left in Hasetsu, but despite the low competition, business has been down the past few years. I've been doing the stand on the side to make up for the drop in guests.” Hiroko smiled. “But I genuinely enjoy it, so it's no bother. And we wouldn't have met you otherwise, Victor.”

Victor smiled in return. “I'm certainly glad we ran into each other.” His eyes traveled to Yuuri. Without his shopping trips to Hiroko's stand, he would never have come to such a small town as Hasetsu. He wouldn't have bumped into Yuuri and found a scale that sent him on a wild chase to this very table. The man across from him held the key to the secret he'd been searching for for so long.

“Well,” said Hiroko, pushing back her chair to stand up. “I think we're about done with dinner. You two must want some time to talk.”

Victor looked grateful while Yuuri seemed to tense up. “I still don't have much to say,” Yuuri said, finally meeting Victor's gaze.

Mari and Toshiya rose as well. “Talk or don't talk, little brother. Either way, we'll leave you to it.” The three left the two young men at the table and retreated to the kitchen to clean up.

Victor and Yuuri looked intently at each other, Victor being the first to break the silence. “I really didn't mean to intrude,” he said. “My intention was to get a room for the night and try to speak with you tomorrow.”

Yuuri shrugged. “Mom's life is hospitality. There's no stopping her.” He shifted a bit in his chair, wondering who would bring up the elephant in the room first.

As always, Victor couldn't help himself when it came to something he wanted. “So, about earlier,” he began carefully. Yuuri had taken the scale back at the square, but Victor still had his drawing of the water dragon. He pulled a copy of the drawing from his pocket and laid it on the table between them, flattening out the folds. “You said the scale is yours...?”

Yuuri looked from the drawing to Victor and back. “Yes,” he said simply.

When it was clear he wasn't getting any more of an answer, Victor asked, “How did you come to possess it?”

“That's a complicated question,” Yuuri said.

Victor frowned, trying not to get frustrated. “I think it's a rather simple one.”

“Well then the answer is complicated,” Yuuri said.

“Try me.”

Yuuri hesitated. “I think where we should start...is what is your goal, here?”

“I thought that was pretty obvious,” Victor smiled, tilting his head to the side in mild confusion. “I want to know everything you know about dragons.”

“But why,” Yuuri pushed. The why was most important to him.

Victor sat back in his seat with a soft sigh. “Now _that_ is a complicated question,” he said, mirroring Yuuri's words from before.

And, in turn, Yuuri echoed, “I think it's a rather simple one.” They stared at each other for a moment before once again Victor gave in first.

“I've been fascinated with the idea of dragons ever since I was a child,” he said. “Everything about them amazes me. I haven't ever really been able to explain why that is, but...something about them just sets my curiosity ablaze, you know? Imagine the awe of standing before a creature so terrifyingly beautiful and powerful.” He looked imploringly at Yuuri. “May I see it again?” Yuuri bit his lip for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the blue scale, setting it on the table beside the drawing.

Victor reached for it and turned the scale over in his hand. “I may have only ever seen drawings, but I can picture them so clearly. Armored scales that not only protect them from muggle attacks, but are strong enough to deflect aggressive spells. Tails that can send trees toppling, talons that can slice easily through the toughest of hides... The ability to fly without magic! Just naturally soaring through the clouds... I doubt a broom comes anywhere near what that must be like.”

“Is that why you were drawn to Quidditch? You wanted to know what flying was like?”

“Yuuri!” Victor beamed. “You know I played Quidditch?”

Yuuri flushed. “Well! I mean of course I did!” he said. “Your Quidditch career at Durmstrang was legendary. Everyone was shocked you didn't go pro.”

“Even you?” asked Victor, immensely curious.

“Ah, I didn't and still don't follow magical sports that closely,” he admitted. “But I know enough to know you were rumored to have been offered a spot on the Russian team after graduation.”

“That's true,” Victor confirmed. “And it was tempting. Flying is one of my passions, and playing Seeker was a natural fit for me. But the life of an athlete is very time consuming. I knew with training and games I wouldn't have time for anything else.”

“Your potions?” asked Yuuri.

“That,” agreed Victor. “But also exploring any lead I found on dragons. Owning my own shop allows me to indulge in my true dream of being the first in centuries to find them again.” With an amused huff he added, “Though I suppose I'll settle for second.”

Yuuri accidentally laughed, and at Victor's questioning look he explained, “I'm afraid you're far further down the list than second.”

Delight at acknowledgment that Yuuri had found them battled with the thought of being the last to know. “Yuuri! How many other people have you told?” he all but whined.

“I didn't tell anyone anything,” he said, refusing to count JJ as technically Phichit had sat their friend down to explain what had really happened over the summer all those years ago.

Victor played with the scale again. “Well, that's my 'why,'” he said. “I think they're amazing creatures, even if all I have to go on is theory. I may have them all wrong, I admit, but...I suppose I wouldn't know until I've met one myself. I suspect I'm right though, and judging by your protectiveness you find them to be something worth treasuring too.” His smile was light, almost timid now. “I'd like to help you with that. I can only hope you find me worthy of your trust.”

Yuuri considered the Russian carefully. He'd never let anyone in on this secret before that he didn't already know well, or who couldn't be helped. His schoolmates had been thrown into the mess alongside him, and JJ had been told because sooner or later one of them would have slipped up and mentioned it in front of him, and it was better to have the revelation controlled. Mari had been a necessity for logistical reasons, along with the fact she and their parents were people Yuuri could trust unconditionally.

Victor seemed genuine, but Yuuri didn't have enough experience with him to really know beyond any doubt that he meant what he said. If they were to continue down any road together it would require quite the leap of faith on Yuuri's end. “There's no underlying motive other than a childhood dream coming true?” he asked.

“None whatsoever!” Victor said eagerly, not even sure what other motivations there could be. “Just a selfish desire to finally see one after all these years of searching!”

“Let's say I believe you,” he said, causing Victor's eyes to shine hopefully. “I believe you have an honest desire to see and understand them... and I might be willing to let that happen.” Victor gasped, and Yuuri continued before he could get a word out. “But not today.”

Victor tried to reign in his excitement and remain collected. “Okay,” he said, falsely calm. “What kind of time frame are we talking about?”

“I'm not sure yet,” Yuuri admitted. He needed to think about this, and he definitely needed to consult with Phichit on possible outcomes of letting another person into their secret. “I need to sleep on it, and there are some things I need to do before we consider moving on.”

“Absolutely,” Victor agreed. “I have all the time in the world. Whatever you need.”

Yuuri frowned. “What about your shop?”

Oh. Right. “It'll be fine,” Victor insisted. “I can write to a friend of mine to check for owl orders and let my customers know there will be a small delay in delivery.”

“You don't even know how long you'll be away,” Yuuri pointed out.

Victor's cheeks tinted a light pink. “Well, I'm hopeful it won't be long?” he tried. Just how long did Yuuri intend to keep him waiting?

“How about this,” Yuuri began. “You want to know everything I do about dragons, right?” Victor nodded. “Why don't you return to your shop. I'll compile the notes of what I've learned over the years and send them to you via owl. You get what you're looking for without any interruption to your business.” And Yuuri got a nosy stranger out of his hair.

“Oh. But.” Victor looked crestfallen. “You had said I'd get to see one...?”

“I said I'd consider it,” he corrected. “And for another day. Right now I'm willing to share my firsthand knowledge with you, since I know you won't leave empty handed any time soon.” Yuuri could be sure to refrain from sharing anything that may pinpoint where the dragons were.

Victor was visibly struggling with remaining polite to stay on Yuuri's good side and losing his cool at being so close yet so far from what he wanted. On the one hand, Yuuri's information would be invaluable to him. For the first time it would be guaranteed factual accounts rather than lore, or books so old it was hard to tell if it was truly reliable or rumors. On the other, documents were a far cry from a living, breathing beast. He didn't come all this way to have dragons confirmed just to be sent away without a glance. “That's very generous,” he said. “And I really appreciate you looking out for my shop's customers and orders. However, I truly don't mind a break from work. If any of my customers have urgent requests I'm sure I can figure something out when the need arises. I'd much rather stay here.”

Yuuri should have known it wouldn't be that easy to send the Russian home.

Victor was playing with the scale again, daydreaming as he turned it between his fingers. “I wonder what kind of magical properties these have,” he said absently.

Yuuri immediately sat up straight, eyes narrowing. “What?” he asked.

“I was just wondering what these might be used for,” he said, not thinking anything of it as his brain whirled a mile a minute, a catalog of potions ingredients. Whole, boiled, ground... Ingredients often had numerous uses depending on how they were prepared. Even something as simple as sopophorous beans being crushed verse cut made all the difference in his draught of living death. “There are currently no known uses for anything from a dragon.” It seemed Victor realized his mistake the moment it left his mouth. “Wait, I don't mean-”

“No known uses for-” Yuuri gasped, pushing back from the table and flying to his feet. “Is that what you're really here for? Potions ingredients?!”

“Yuuri!” Victor pleaded, sensing his one and only opportunity to see a dragon flying out the window. “That's not what I meant! As a brewer my mind is constantly bouncing new ideas around, but that's not the only reason I came!”

“But it's one of them,” Yuuri concluded, and that was reason enough to stop this right here. “God, to think I almost agreed to let you near them.” With a crack Yuuri Disapparated from the room.

Victor was stunned. “Yuuri?” he called to the empty room. He looked all around, as if Yuuri may have only moved to sneak up behind him. “Yuuri?” he called again. “I swear I wouldn't hurt them!”

Another loud crack announced Yuuri's return. “Here,” he scowled, thrusting something into Victor's chest. “If that's all you're here for, take it and go.”

Victor scrambled to catch what was given to him, fumbling to ensure he didn't drop anything. Once he was sure he had a good hold he focused on actually looking at what was in his hands. His heart rate spiked when he realized he was clutching half a dozen brown scales. He opened his mouth but words failed him, overwhelmed with more precious evidence in his hands at the same time he was losing what he longed for most.

“Experiment all you want with those,” Yuuri glared. “But don't think you're getting your hands on anything alive.”

“This is all a misunderstanding,” Victor tried, but Yuuri wouldn't hear it.

“We're done here,” he said coolly, and this time was swallowed up in a mini hurricane and vanished for good.

* * *

Victor slept fitfully that night, constantly waking up and tormenting himself with should-haves and what might have been if he hadn't let his big mouth mention potions. When morning came he was reluctant to venture out of his room, but hunger won out and he slowly made his way to the dining room, opting to follow what he assumed correctly were other guests to the main dining room.

Hiroko spotted his silver hair right away. “Victor,” she smiled, heading over with food before he could even ask for anything. “Good morning! Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” he admitted, then quickly added, “Your beds are lovely! I just couldn't sleep because – I was just up thinking, is all!”

Hiroko set the tray down before him and then patted his cheek. “Yuuri told me you argued. I'm sorry it didn't go well for you two.”

Victor deflated at the reminder. “I ruined everything,” he sighed dramatically. “We had been talking about my shop and then I got thinking about brews and I stupidly implied I'd use...” he looked around, realizing he shouldn't use the word dragon here “ _you know_ , in potions. And I mean I _would_ but not the way he thinks! I mean surely scales fall off naturally? How else would I have found one? I didn't mean I'd take it forcefully!”

Hiroko sat down. “I'm sorry, Yuuri said you argued, but he didn't go into detail. What upset him so?”

Victor lowered his voice before continuing. “We were talking about the...you know.” Hiroko nodded. “And we had a tentative agreement that I would be permitted to see one. Eventually. And while discussing that Yuuri brought up my apothecary and was concerned I would lose business being away for so long. I really don't mind, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I said as much, but then my stupid brain starting thinking about the potions I make and then it was wondering what I could do with scales and what not and then for some reason I wondered that _out loud_.”

Hiroko nodded. “Ah,” she said, understanding immediately what set her son off.

“But it's not what it sounds like,” Victor said. “I didn't mean I would hurt, or god forbid, _kill_ , any animal for the sake of a potion. I only meant that if they shed I would be interested in seeing what I could do with them. I have no idea if they shed their skin like a snake, or if individual scales fall off, or maybe they don't ever come off. Though he did give me some more...so they must naturally drop scales somehow. And if he just throws them out anyway, is there any harm in me wanting a few?”

“I understand,” Hiroko said. Yuuri had been looking for a reason to not trust Victor and that had been a golden opportunity. “Did Yuuri tell you how he found them?” she asked.

“No,” said Victor glumly. “He really didn't tell me anything about them.” That offer for all his notes on them probably wasn't still on the table. Another reason for Victor to curse his stupid big mouth.

“You should hear the full story from him,” Hiroko said. “But he found the family among some wizards who were looking to profit off the poor things.” Victor was a roller coaster of emotions at that. A _family_? How many? And profit how, exactly? “They were near death and the wizards couldn't have cared less. Yuuri is worried that anyone else searching for them will be the same.”

“But I'm not!” Victor promised. “I wouldn't do anything to hurt them. I want to help!” While his original goal was to see and study, it was morphing into understand and protect. The very idea of there being wizards out there abusing such creatures made his blood boil.

“I know, Vicchan,” she said, patting his hand affectionately. At the name Victor looked curiously at her, wondering if she'd misspoken. “Don't worry. It'll all work out.”

He wanted to believe her but sincerely doubt Yuuri would ever talk to him again. “I hope so,” he said sadly. He poked at his breakfast without much enthusiasm before asking, “What time is checkout?”

She patted his hand again before getting to her feet. “Don't pack up just yet,” she said, and puttered off toward the kitchen.

* * *

“And THEN!” Yuuri took a deep breath mid rant. “He goes on to say he'd use dragons in his potions! Can you believe that?”

Mari stirred her tea absently with the twirl of her finger. “Didn't you say he's like the world's greatest potions brewer or something? Why are you shocked that's the first thing he thinks of?”

“Mari!” Yuuri groaned. “We can't let him dissect the clan and boil their livers or whatever he wants to do!”

“Did he specifically say he wanted their livers?”

“No!” With a huff Yuuri leaned against the kitchen counter. “Why aren't you as pissed off about this as I am?” he asked. He'd come to her looking for a kindred spirit in defending their dragons.

“Because the guy looks more like he belongs on the cover of Witch Weekly than Azkaban's Most Wanted.”

“...He _has_ been on the cover of Witch Weekly. He's won their Most Charming Smile Award like five times.”

Mari snorted. “How do you know that?”

He flushed. “Again, I work at a school with thousands of teenage witches! You think I don't see Witch Weekly's all over the classrooms? I don't live under a rock!” Mari was still smirking at him. “Can we get back to the main point please?”

The door to the kitchen opened and their mother hurried in. Both siblings grabbed something to clean and look busy. “Yuuri, can I talk to you?”

Yuuri set the bowl he'd grabbed to dry down on the counter. “Of course, Mom. What about?”

“Victor is very disappointed with how yesterday went,” she said.

Yuuri laughed. “Yeah? Well so am I.” What a waste of time for everyone. “All he was after was ingredients.”

“And that's why you want nothing to do with him?”

“Absolutely! I can't keep anyone like that around the dragons. I wouldn't be able to leave him unsupervised.”

Hiroko put a hand to her cheek, eyes crinkling shut as she smiled. “Oh my! I had no idea you felt that way about your own mother!”

“I – what?” Yuuri asked, utterly confused. “What are you talking about? We're talking about Victor.”

“Yes, a man who's career is mixing potions from all sorts of plants and animals. Ones that _I_ also sell at my stand in the square,” she reminded him.

Yuuri blanched. “That's not the same thing!”

“Isn't it?” she asked. “Eye of newt. Bat wings. Frog brains. All of those come from a living thing.”

“Yeah, but-”

“I suppose you think it's only a matter of time before I go after the dragons,” she said.

Yuuri was flailing. “Of course not, Mom! I know you wouldn't!”

“Why can't you believe that someone else could refrain too?” she asked. “Isn't it possible Victor could be telling the truth?” Yuuri sat silently. “Victor told me he only meant he'd be interested in the scales that shed. He has no intention of harvesting any organs or anything you're worried about. Why not give him a chance to prove himself?”

“...Fine,” Yuuri sighed. “Maybe I jumped to conclusions too quickly.” Hiroko beamed. Yuuri pushed off the counter and headed for the door. “You're oddly insistent when it comes to him.”

She just continued smiling, waving him off. “He's a kind man. You'll like him when you get to know him better.”

“So you said.” Yuuri gave her one more curious look before pushing the door open and going to look for Victor.

* * *

Victor was up in his room, and despite Hiroko telling him not to start packing just yet, that's exactly what he was doing. Yuuri clearly wanted nothing to do with him, and it was all his own fault. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't shed a few tears in the privacy of his room, and now he was working on getting himself together enough to walk through the inn to leave.

A quiet knock drew his attention to the door. “Victor?”

He was surprised to recognize Yuuri's voice. “Come in,” he called. The door slowly opened and Yuuri stepped in, shutting the door behind him. “You don't have to tell me to go,” Victor said. “I'm almost done getting my things together.”

“Oh. That's...not what I came to say,” said Yuuri.

“Well. Anyway.” Victor placed the last of his clothes in his suit case and zipped it closed. “I'll be leaving then.”

“Wait,” Yuuri said. “About the scales.”

“Right,” Victor said, and he crossed the bedroom floor to the dresser. On it was a small bundle wrapped in what appeared to be a white t-shirt. He picked it up and handed it over to Yuuri. “They're all here,” he said. “Six brown and one blue. I wrapped them so they wouldn't get chipped.” He'd been sorely tempted to keep at least one as a memento, but in the end thought the right thing to do was return them.

“You can keep them,” Yuuri said, pushing the bundle back towards Victor. “That's what I came to tell you. I'm...sorry. For yelling at you last night. I didn't give you a chance to explain what you meant properly.”

“I understand,” Victor said. “I realized the second I said it that it came out wrong.”

They looked at each other for a moment, each wondering what the other was thinking. For the first time Yuuri broke the silence. “If you want to stay... My offer for my journals is still on the table.”

Victor nodded. Never one to know when to not push it, he asked, “And me potentially seeing them?”

“Once again under consideration,” Yuuri said, and the delight in the Russian's eyes momentarily stunned him.

“Yes!” Victor cheered. That was as close to a yes as he was getting, and he knew it. He looked down at his bags. “I suppose I packed up too soon after all.”

Yuuri smiled guiltily. “I'll help you unpack,” he offered, but was distracted by the arrival of a paper bird. He held out a hand and it landed in his palm before unfolding for him to read. “Oh,” he said, “It's for you.”

Victor curiously took the page and began reading, smile slowly spreading over his face as he went. “Wow!” he beamed, and looked up happily at Yuuri. “That's perfect!”

“What is?” asked Yuuri, and he reached for the paper. Victor let him pull it from his hand. Yuuri noticed the neat penmanship of his mother, skimming over the pleasantries and warm words of congratulations on working things out with Yuuri. Then he read the reason for Victor's celebration.

“She's offering you the banquet room?” he asked. “As a temporary workspace for your potions shop?”

“What a great idea!” Victor beamed. “I can keep up with my customers _and_ work on catching up with you on dragon knowledge!” Victor swept all his belongings into his arms. “Conveniently I am all set to relocate! Lead the way!”

“Ah, right,” Yuuri nodded, and turned to take Victor to the banquet room.

* * *

Victor spent the remainder of the morning helping the Katsuki's clear out the unused banquet room. With business down it had turned into just another storage space, and Hiroko assured him that it was no trouble to empty it out and they'd been meaning to organize the mess anyway.

That afternoon Victor Apparated back home to his apartment over the apothecary. He sent a note to Chris explaining that he'd be temporarily relocating his shop to Japan and asked that his friend walk past the storefront now and then and make sure everything looked in place. He then set to work carefully boxing up his most commonly used ingredients, reference books and cauldrons. The last to be rounded up was clothes. He wasn't sure how long he'd be gone. A week? A month? Maybe Yuuri would tire of him after only a day. He decided to be optimistic and grabbed enough for two weeks.

The fluttering of wings caught his attention, and he held out his palm for the note to land and unfurl. Chris' response was understandably shocked and confused, asking what was so important in Japan that he'd be going there on such short notice. “Tell him I'll explain it all later, but to trust me on this, it's worth the trouble.” His messy handwriting appeared on the parchment before it folded itself once more into a bird and took flight, darting out his bedroom window.

“Well, that's it then,” he said to his empty room. He blinked and appeared in the back room of his shop, looking over everything and making sure he wasn't leaving anything indispensable behind. Satisfied his trunk was sufficiently stuffed, he left for Hasetsu.

* * *

Victor spent the weekend arranging and rearranging the banquet room. Yuuri had popped in once or twice, not quite understanding the energy Victor was putting into each meticulous detail in things as mundane as the order in which the canisters were set on the counter. (He had redone it at least four times.)

“I have a system,” Victor explained without looking up, turning the bottles of extracts a centimetre this way and that until they were perfectly facing forward. “Once I have everything in its place I can focus on the brew. But if my workroom is in chaos, my mind is in chaos. You know what I mean?”

“Not really,” admitted Yuuri, but he watched all the same as Victor laid out his wands. “Why do you have more than one wand?” Yuuri asked. He only ever saw folks with one.

Victor finally looked up from organizing. With a small smile he picked up one of the three wands. “This was my mother's,” he said, looking at it fondly. “9 inches, cherry wood, unicorn hair core. Oh don't look so glum,” he said. “She's alive and well. She simply didn't need it anymore.”

“How does a witch not need her wand?” asked Yuuri.

“Not much use for it in the muggle world, is there?” shrugged Victor.

Yuuri's eyes widened in shock. “Your mom's a muggle?” he gasped, then instantly looked embarrassed by his outburst. “I mean – not that there's anything wrong with that!” he hurried to say. “Muggles are fine. Muggles are great!” Oh god he was flailing, wasn't he? “I'm just surprised, because of your talents with magic. Not that-”

“Yuuri,” Victor laughed. “Take a deep breath.” Yuuri quieted down and did what he suggested. “My mother isn't a muggle. Quite the opposite, actually. She comes from a long line of magical families. You could say 'pureblood' if you're into that labeling thing. My father is the muggle.”

“Oh.”

Victor flicked the wand lazily and a mist slowly seeped out, taking the form of a snow white bunny and hopping around the counters for a few moments before disappearing. Yuuri wondered if he'd just witnessed someone doing the patronus charm non-verbally, and if so, it occurred to him he really had no idea how powerful Victor really was. There had to be a reason all the world's ministries had been trying to recruit him right after Durmstrang, and it probably wasn't his impressive Quidditch career.

“She was quite celebrated in school. She went to Beauxbatons Academy, and everyone said she was a genius. That's probably where I get it from.” He grinned to show he was kidding, and Yuuri laughed because it was an unexpectedly endearing but also undeniably true statement. “Anyway, she was going to be the next greatest wandmaker. Everyone said so. She even studied with Garrick Ollivander before he passed. But then one day she met my father, he was a friend of a friend,” he said simply. “He's a muggle accountant. Never knew about magic, never got his letter at 11. Just a normal muggle. But that was enough,” he smiled. “They fell in love, and after a minor freak out when he found out his fiance was a witch, he was remarkably accepting about it all. They got married, had me, and moved to St. Petersburg for his promotion. She had less and less time for wandwork, so that got put on the backburner. It was also troublesome lying to friends and his side of the family about her background, so they tended to avoid talking about it.”

“So she gave up on wandmaking?” Yuuri asked.

“Not at all!” smiled Victor. “It just was no longer her priority. She still meddles in it from time to time. She made my wand when I received my owl for Durmstrang! And over the years she keeps making me more, insistent that each one is better than the last.” He rolled his eyes. “They all 'choose' me but I suspect she has a hand in that. I probably have over a dozen at this point.”

“A dozen wands?” Yuuri echoed back in amazement. “Do they all listen to you?”

“Absolutely,” he said, and set down the cherry wand to pick up another much darker one. He pointed at the nearest cauldron which immediately filled itself with water and set it to boil. “They're each better at something than the others, like this one for instance is my preferred wand for brewing. But any of them could easily be my sole wand.” He set the dark one down and picked up the cherry again. “Anyway, after I graduated, my parents didn't feel the need to really participate in the wizarding world anymore. No more Quidditch games to cheer on, no more help with school courses... It was easier on them both to just live full time as muggles instead of trying to balance both. So, she gave me her wand for safekeeping. I like to use it now and then to make sure it doesn't get rusty, you know?”

Yuuri couldn't imagine just deciding one day to no longer be a wizard. “She doesn't miss it?”

Victor shrugged. “It's not like anyone's preventing her from changing her mind. My father asks every year or so if she wants to go somewhere magical, even just to window shop, but she never does. She's content. And I keep her updated on anything she _needs_ to know.”

Yuuri really wanted to ask if Victor's parents knew what a big deal he was in the wizarding community or if he down played his fame when he talked to them, but he couldn't think of a polite way to word it. Instead all that came out was, “Twelve different wands?” Victor nodded. “You know everyone typically has _one_ , right?”

“Oh Yuuri,” Victor laughed, pulling a few more wands out from a nearby box. “Nothing about me is typical.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goal is to update every Thursday, and so far I have made it! Work is hectic with the virus stuff, so writing this is a great way to relax when I get home. :) Thanks for reading! And next week - another look at young Yuuri & Friends dealing with the dragon family!


	4. New Mexico Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri calls on Mari to help with relocating the dragons, but three may be too many for her to handle with only six underage wizards to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! We revisit the past to see how the students fared with the dragons the morning after their rescue.

**May 2004**

**New Mexico Desert**

Yuuri awoke early the next morning, eager to check on the dragons. When he pulled the drape back from his bunk he saw Phichit was sitting up in his bed and the twins were in the kitchenette eating breakfast. “Morning,” he said. “Has anyone been outside yet?”

“Not yet,” Phichit said.

“We were hoping you'd go first,” Mickey admitted. “The dragons seem to like you best.” They were all a little anxious about leaving the tent and accidentally spooking their new friends.

Yuuri chuckled lightly to himself and drew the drape back again, using the privacy to change before heading over to grab a bagel from the table. “I'll go see how they're doing.”

Once outside he immediately felt that something was wrong. It was far too quiet, despite the early hour. He didn't know what a dragon's typical morning routine was, but this still felt off. He quickly scanned the area and saw that the red male had moved during the night to lay beside the blue female, the brown baby dragon draped over its father's tail. Yuuri slowly approached as much as he dared, trying to figure out why he was feeling such a sense of anxiety.

His steps alerted the trio to his presence, to mixed reactions. The little brown one's ears popped up first, and after it turned to see him it slid down from it's perch on its fathers tail and trotted over. “Hello,” Yuuri smiled, “How are you? Is everyone okay?” Of course he received no answer, just a chirp.

The male moved from lying down to sitting up, eyeing Yuuri intently but otherwise not seeming too concerned with his presence. Its focus quickly shifted back to its mate, and so Yuuri looked to her as well. At first she appeared to be sleeping, but as he looked more carefully he realized her breathing was once again very shallow.

“Oh no,” he breathed. “What's wrong?” He turned to call, “Phichit! Sara!” over his shoulder towards the tent. After a moment of hesitation he cautiously made his way closer, hand outstretched. He very much felt the males eyes locked on him as he inched toward the blue dragon, and belatedly he fumbled for his wand in case flames were in his future. “It's okay, I'm just trying to help...” he said quietly.

“Yuuri?” he heard Phichit ask. “What's going on?”

“I don't know,” he answered. “Something's wrong with the blue one, she's barely breathing. I thought she seemed alright last night... Sara can you try to take a look at the baby? And keep it distracted while I try to help mom.”

“Okay,” she said, and started cooing and waving at the little one to get it's attention.

Yuuri was finally within touching distance of the female, and gently he reached out and put a hand on her scales. He saw her large eye open for a moment before fluttering shut with a huff. He noticed there was nothing accompanying the huff, whereas last night he'd felt steam. There was no way to know if that was intentional.

“Hey,” he said, running his hand over her scales. “What's going on?” Seeing as he had less than 24 hours experience with the species, he wasn't really sure what he was looking for. He felt along her neck up toward her head, not seeing any new cuts or wounds from yesterday. He noticed her mouth was slightly open, and though very much intimidated by those fangs, he set one hand on her jaw and peeked inside. “I really wish I knew more about you,” he told her. All he saw was razor sharp fangs and a thin, dry blue tongue.

“Wait a minute...” he frowned. “Hey, Sara, bring the little one over here please,” he said, turning around. Sara danced over, the playful brown baby happily hopping after her. Yuuri knelt and immediately it pounced on him, licking his face and leaving a trail of saliva down his cheek. Just like he remembered from yesterday. “His tongue's wet,” Yuuri said, wiping off his cheek. “But the blue one's looks really dry.”

“Maybe she's thirsty?” suggested Phichit. “We are in the desert.”

“It seems like it's more than that,” Yuuri said, though he did think he was on the right track. He looked back at the dragon, staring at her again as he took in her dull scales. “Look at her scales. They're drying out too.” She'd been dazzling yesterday. “I think...she needs to be in water.” Which was a problem considering they were in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Yuuri quickly pulled his wand out, aiming it at her as he muttered, “Aguamenti.”

“Why didn't she seem this bad last night?” asked Mickey, who'd come out to see what was going on, along with Leo and Seung Gil.

Sara tapped her chin in thought. “Well, when we got here she was in pretty bad shape, remember? I think we all assumed it was the wounds that were the problem, but she really didn't start perking up until Yuuri hosed her down, now that I think about it.”

Yuuri gently sprayed the dragon, watching in awe as the sheen began to return to her scales. “Phichit, can you start on her tail? Mickey, see if you can get her to drink any.” Mickey looked supremely nervous about being that close to her mouth, standing as far as he could with his wand arm extended all the way out. “Poor thing. Attacked while already weakened by this heat.”

The group spent a good half hour ensuring she was thoroughly watered down. By the end she was sitting up, tilting her head this way and that to allow them to reach everywhere, all the while her mate sat silently beside her, eyes never leaving the wizards.

“Do we need to do the same with him?” asked Phichit, nodding to the red dragon.

“I don't think so,” Yuuri said. “He seems content.” While it certainly hadn't seemed to mind being cleaned off yesterday, the male didn't seem in any hurry for a shower today. Satisfied that the female would be alright for the time being, the students slowly backed up. Sensing that she was free to move, she slowly got to her feet, stretching her wings first before turning in a tight circle to get feeling back in her legs. She let out a snort of steam and settled back down, looking much happier than when Yuuri had found her.

“Hmm,” Yuuri hummed. “I thought she was too weak to breathe fire last night due to her injuries, and that's why it was just steam. But I think that might be her normal thing. Maybe she's only supposed to breathe steam.”

“So...he breathes fire, and she breathes steam. What does the little guy do?” asked Leo. They all looked expectantly at the baby, as if on cue it would demonstrate it's magical ability. All they received was a yawn, followed by a sneeze.

“Maybe it's too young,” Sara said. “How old do you think it is?”

“No idea,” said Yuuri. “What do you think they're doing out here?”

Leo shrugged. “They can't live out here, if you're right in thinking she needs to live in water. Or at least nearby it. The small stream nearby isn't even deep enough for her to wade in.”

With the dragons content for now, the students split up to search the area for clues as to what they had interrupted last night. It had been too dark to get a proper look last night, and they'd been hyped up on too much adrenaline to pay much attention to anything other than the beasts.

Yuuri picked through the remains of the wooden crate the baby had been in last night. Leo had torn pieces off for the campfire last night, but a good amount was still left behind. There were some indecipherable markings on one side, and on the other what appeared to be half a company logo, the top planks missing. Judging by the claws it was a hippogriff emblem, though that meant little to him. He went in the crate, kicking around the dirt and debris before spotting bits of white mixed in.

He knelt down and picked up a tiny fragment. He wasn't sure what he was looking at. Glancing around he saw there was a good amount of fine white powder on the ground, a few larger pieces mixed in with the sand. Brushing off his hands, he stood and went back outside of the crate.

“Hey Yuuri, I found this under a plank over there,” Phichit said, holding up an envelope. “I think it's a packing list or something. You know how you stick those on the outside of deliveries?”

Yuuri took the envelope from Phichit and torn open one end. A small slip of paper fluttered out onto his waiting palm. “I think you're right,” he said, holding it up to read.

**Finnegan's Floristry**

**Supplier of rare and exotic plants**

Quantity

| 

Item No.

| 

Description

| 

Unit Price

| 

Total  
  
---|---|---|---|---  
  
1

| 

8965

| 

Water lily - mature

| 

25,000.00 $

| 

25,000.00 $  
  
1

| 

6578

| 

Firespike - mature

| 

30,000.00 $

| 

30,000.00 $  
  
1

| 

2387

| 

Romneya – bulb

| 

10,000.00 $

| 

10,000.00 $  
  
“Oh my god,” Yuuri gasped. “They were selling them. Look, it's flowers listed on this, but... water lily? That's obviously code for the female.”

Sara peeked over his shoulder. “Firespike would be the male.”

“Those two names make sense,” Phichit said. “But Romneya? What kind of flower is that?”

Yuuri's stomach dropped. “It's nick name is the 'fried egg' plant because it's white with an orange center, like an egg. And if they have mature for the adults, then I think bulb combined with romneya means that when this shipment was sent out, the little one was still in its egg.” He stepped back into the crate, picking up one of the white fragments from the floor. “I think this is eggshells. He probably trampled it last night when he was thrashing around in here.”

“So he really is an infant!” Sara said. “Only a few days old you think?”

“Maybe that's why the parents freaked out,” Phichit said. “I mean yeah they're going to be pissed that their egg is taken away, but when it hatched and started crying? Their instincts must have gone haywire.”

“How do you think they were transporting the adults?” asked Leo. “We saw them with ropes, but that can't be the only thing restraining them, right? They could burn through that easily.”

“They must have been sedated,” Yuuri said. “If not knocked out completely, then really drowsy. Then when the little one hatched and starting crying for them, I bet adrenaline kicked in enough for them to push through the fog.”

“Poor little things,” Sara cooed, disregarding the fact the dragons were a monstrously large size. “That must have been awful for all of them.”

Yuuri looked the invoice over once again. “I'll have Mari look into this florist, she still knows some people at the ministry.”

A loud crack sounded behind them, causing the students to jump. “So I'm your personal errand runner now?” drawled a familiar female voice.

“Mari!” Phichit cried in delight. “Long time no see!”

“Chulanont,” she nodded. “Hello little brother,” she said to Yuuri. “You rang?”

Yuuri smiled at his older sister. “Hi Mari,” he said. “Thanks for coming.”

“No problem,” she said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a charm. “I was wondering when I'd hear from you, school got out a week ago, right?”

“Yeah, this was our last hurrah before splitting up for summer,” he said. He was more than a little surprised she hadn't reacted at all to the large beasts behind them. “Mari, this is Sara, Mickey, Seung Gil and Leo. Everyone, this is Mari.”

Mari cracked her knuckles. “So,” she began. “We're moving all three to Hasetsu?” She nodded to the dozing dragons.

“Ah, yes,” said Yuuri, a little surprised by her right-to-business attitude. She was normally blunt, but, “You're taking this rather well.” He knew he explained the situation to her last night, but he still thought she'd have more of a reaction when she saw them in person.

“This ain't my first rodeo,” she said, wand already out and flicking away.

Mickey's jaw dropped. “You mean you've seen dragons before!” he gasped.

“She means she's transported large creatures before,” Yuuri said.

“No no, he was right,” Mari said, nodding to Mickey.

Now it was Yuuri's turn to drop his jaw. “What!” he gasped. She didn't mention that last night! Or...ever! “Seriously? And you never told me?”

Mari stopped her wandwork and looked at the shell shocked students. “It was classified ministry information,” she said. “I couldn't tell you half of what I dealt with when working for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.” Her lip quirked up into a smirk. “Did you really think I spent four years just banishing boggarts?”

Yuuri's mind was blown. His own sister knew about the existence of dragons and never told him? What else had she seen? He was too stunned to even get a question out.

Mari took pity on him and offered up a few details. “There aren't many dragons,” she said. “Not anymore, unfortunately. There used to be hundreds of species, we think, but there are only a few dozen left now.”

“A few dozen?” Yuuri wheezed. He couldn't comprehend there being so many different types, which meant so many more out there of each kind...

“I'll explain it all later,” she promised. “Right now we should take advantage of the fact they're asleep, it'll make it much easier to move them.”

“Um, how exactly do you move dragons?” asked Leo.

“Very carefully,” Mari said, and held her wand up once again. “Alright, here's the plan. Three of us are going to use a sleeping charm at the same time, each targeting a different dragon. Ideally they won't even be aware since they're already asleep. They'll just wake up in the new location.” She looked over the group of young students. “Who here can cast a sleeping charm?” As if being asked by an instructor at school, Yuuri and the Crispino twins raised their hands. “Reliably?” Sara's hand went down. “Okay then. Yuuri and, Mickey was it? You two and myself will do the sleeping charms. Can anyone do the incarcerous spell?”

“Mari, that's a N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration spell,” Yuuri reminded her. “I can't even do that yet.” No way the first or seconds years could conjure rope out of thin air.

“Okay, so I'll handle that too,” Mari said. “Who can Apparate?” She was met with silence. “Seriously?”

“Mari... we're all under seventeen, we aren't licensed to Apparate.” Yuuri looked just as exasperated as his sister. “That's why we called you. We can't handle this on our own.”

Mari sighed, tapping her wand against her palm as she thought the situation over. “I've never dealt with three dragons alone,” she said. “We sent a minimum of five trained wizards _per dragon_. And I've got six underage students.”

“What about Side-Along Apparation?” suggested Seung Gil.

“I've never traveled with six, and certainly not with two adult dragons. We'll have to go in shifts. Which means it'll be more likely for them to wake up and notice they've been separated.”

“Can't we just do it real fast?” asked Phichit. “Am I missing something? It takes like two seconds to Disapparate and Apparate right?”

Mari rounded on him with an unimpressed look. “Have you ever Apparated across an entire country? Across an ocean? With passengers, and cargo like that?” she asked, pointing to the large red dragon.

“...No,” admitted Phichit, who had actually never Apparated at all.

“It's exhausting,” she said.

“Um,” piped up Sara. “Across an ocean? Where are we going?”

Yuuri realized he'd forgotten to explain the plan he'd come up with with Mari to his friends. “Hasetsu, Japan. Our parents own some land there.”

“Not to be that person, but...wasn't Inter-country Apparition banned ages ago because too many people were getting splinched?” asked Leo.

“Splinched?!” cried Mickey. “Sara, you can't go! I won't let you risk leaving a body part behind for this!” For once his sister didn't protest his protectiveness.

Seung Gil nodded. “The further you go the more difficult the travel is, which leads to a greater likelihood of something going wrong. Not to mention it's illegal.”

The group fell silent as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

“No hard feelings if anyone wants out,” Yuuri finally said. He was disappointed but not upset when the twins looked at each other with frowns, nodding before looking regretfully at Yuuri.

“We've never Apparated that far before,” Sara said. “I'm sorry Yuuri, but we really aren't comfortable with the risk.”

“I understand,” he said. He looked to the others. “Leo?”

His friend shifted foot to foot. “My parents would freak out if I broke the law,” he said.

Mari raised an eyebrow. “Have you all done any spells out here this week?” They all nodded. “If you're all under seventeen, you're all under the Trace. Your parents will be getting owls any time now notifying them you've practiced magic off school grounds outside of the school year.” There was a chorus of shocked cries at that, all having forgotten that in the heat of the moment last night. “Except you, Yuuri.” The Japanese Ministry allowed students to practice during the summer.

Yuuri felt immensely guilty. “I'm sorry guys, I didn't even think about that. I forgot it's different in the US.”

“We're in so much trouble!” panicked Sara. “Can we get expelled for this?”

“Don't worry,” Mari said. “First time offense is just a warning. The letters are going to list every spell you used though, so I would start coming up with an explanation now.”

Seeing his friend's nervous expressions settled the issue for Yuuri. “Okay, new plan. You guys figure out a reason we cast what we did the last two days. Make it simple, make it believable. Mari and I will handle getting the dragons to Japan.”

“I'll help you,” Phichit volunteered. “You guys can't do it all on your own.” Yuuri grinned at his best friend, thankful Phichit never let him down.

Sara, Mickey, Leo and Seung Gil split off and went back to the tent to come up with a decent cover story for why their group disregarded the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery. Mari, Phichit and Yuuri huddled together to come up with their new strategy.

“We need to do one at a time,” Mari said. “The fewer travelers the easier it is. I can take them right to Hasetsu, but I'll need a cooling off period of at least a few minutes between each trip. I'll use the time to set up a few enchantments so not only can they not leave the property, but no one else can get in. I did a few basic spells before I left, but I still need to tweak them.”

“Did you tell Mom and Dad?” asked Yuuri.

“Not everything,” Mari said. “They know I'm picking you up from your vacation and bringing a few new friends along.”

Yuuri wondered what their parents would do when they found out who their 'new friends' were. “Okay,” he said, accepting this crazy scenario for what it was. “One at a time. Sleep, bind, transport, release. Got it.”

* * *

All went rather well at first. Mari took the female first after all three had been temporarily put under a sleeping charm. Mari left with her alone, leaving Phichit and Yuuri behind to keep an eye on the other two.

When she arrived was just past 2:00am in Hasetsu. Out behind the inn and its baths were several acres of land, a mix of grassy flat land and a few patches of trees, far too thin to be considered a forest. Years ago they had considered expanding the business and purchased lots as they went up for sale, but with the decrease in guests getting worse those plans had been on hold for almost a decade.

Mari had Apparated into the center of the field with a loud crack. She was confident she was far enough from the main house for anyone to hear. Turning to the dragon, she pulled out her wand and started undoing the ropes binding her snout, letting them fall to the ground only to disappear on impact, going back to wherever things pulled from thin air came from.

She checked to make sure the dragon was still in enchanted sleep before moving away to reinforce her protection charms. Before she had left she had done Protego Horribilis to keep out any dark magic, and Cave Inimicum to prevent anyone outside the spell from seeing, hearing, or even smelling anything within the bubble of protection. She added Muffliato to cover all their bases when it came to someone potentially hearing a roar coming from their backyard. If anyone ventured too close they would simply hear an unidentifiable buzzing sound in their ears, irritating enough to make them turn around and walk away.

Satisfied the basic precautions had been taken, she left the slumbering dragon and headed for the back door of the family home. She was exhausted from transporting such a large guest and was in search of a restoring potion. Mari quietly made her way to the kitchen. In one of the cupboards she knew her mother kept a variety of energy boosting potions to help when they had a particularly heavy dinner rush.

“Perfect,” she muttered, having found one above the sink. She uncorked it and took a large gulp, almost spitting it out in surprise when she heard, “Mari? Is that you?”

She spun around to see her parents come around the corner in their pajamas, blinking sleepily at her. “Is everything alright?” asked Hiroko. “We weren't expecting you until morning. Where's Yuuri?”

“Yuuri?” she asked, as if she'd never heard of such a person.

Toshiya frowned at her in confusion. “You left to get him around midnight, didn't you?” he asked. “It's his last day camping with friends. You were supposed to spend the day with him and bring him back in the morning.” With the time difference, she would have been leaving Japan late in the evening and arriving in New Mexico just after 9:00am.

“Yeah. He wasn't ready yet. And I figured I'd see him all summer, so might as well let him hang out with his friends on the last day.”

Hiroko looked at her curiously. No suspicion was in her eyes, just confusion. “Why did you Apparate into the yard instead of the house?” she asked.

Mari blinked in surprise. “The yard?” she asked. “What makes you think I was in the yard?”

Hiroko put her hands on her hips. “The alarm went off,” she said simply. “Did you think we wouldn't hear it?”

“What alarm?” asked Mari.

Toshiya put a hand on Hiroko's shoulder, amused smile on his face. “This takes me back to Mari's high school days!” he grinned. His girls had this same late night encounter numerous times back then. “No one's tripped the intruder alarm in years! I forgot we still had the old spell up!” After Mari had graduated and moved out, and with Yuuri being far less of a trouble maker, they had considered removing the spell that alerted them if there was activity on the grounds. In the end they figured it was just as useful for catching a burglar as it was detecting when a teenage witch was attempting to sneak out of the house.

Mari scoffed. “You still have that spell up?” It hadn't even crossed her mind to check. She hadn't tried to sneak out of the house in quite a while. As an adult she could come and go as she pleased and typically left from the main house, and apparently the spell was specifically looking for activity happening in more suspicious locations. Like the land they had no reason being out on at two in the morning.

“Of course we-” Hiroko paused, and they all glanced at the ceiling, above which was the parents bedroom. A faint wailing noise could be heard coming through the wood. “Oh my,” she said. “It's going off again.”

“It must be Yuuri,” Toshiya said. “Did he come with you after all?” Why did Mari leave him out back? “I'll go get him.”

“Wait,” Mari said hurriedly. “Don't go out there just yet.” The alarm tripped again, wailing becoming a little louder since the first alert went unacknowledged. “Can you turn that off?” she asked. Toshiya pulled his wand out from his pajama pockets and flicked it up at the ceiling, silencing the alarm.

Mari took another swing of the restorative potion before stoppering it and setting it on the counter. “So, our new friend is awake.” At her parents questioning looks, Mari said, “It's easier if I show you. Follow me.”

The trio headed outside. Everything seemed normal at first, but as they rounded the outdoor baths and moved further from the main property, Hiroko and Toshiya started frowning. “Do you hear that?” Hiroko asked, playing with her right ear in irritation. “It's like really loud white noise.”

“Yeah,” Toshiya agreed. He hadn't a clue what would be causing it. The grounds had always been quiet, though admittedly it had been some years since he ventured this far out onto their property.

Mari stopped walking, her parents following suit. “It's going to be very loud in a moment,” she warned them, already privy to what lay beyond the barriers. “Don't make any sudden movements, and stay behind me, okay?”

“What are you talking about, dear?” asked Hiroko. They were at the edge of an empty field. “No sudden movements?”

“Just...stand still,” Mari said. “I'm going to allow you through the charms.” Hiroko was still confused, squinting in the dark at her daughter. Just beyond her she noticed the air rippling, like a mirage almost. It was nearly undetectable save for the moments the moonlight hit it just right. “Three...two...”

Hiroko snapped awake, realizing what spell Mari must have done. “Oh-!”

“One.” With a wave of her wand the serenity of the empty field was obliterated. A deafening roar burst through the silence, sending all three Katsuki's into a startled jump. The female dragon was pacing furiously around the field, tail whipping at any shrub or sapling unfortunate enough to be in her path. Wilted trees littered the far edge of the field, a very bizarre looking sight. Even Mari wasn't quite sure what had happened until they watched the dragon approach the tree line, let out a frantic screech, and when there was no reply she opened her mouth and let out a breath of dangerously hot steam. The leaves on the branches evaporated, the twigs left behind sagging and dripping with moisture.

“What on earth?” gasped Toshiya, fumbling for his wand in case he needed to defend himself or his family. “What is that?”

“That would be a very pissed off mama dragon,” Mari said, clutching her own wand tightly. “Yuuri is back in New Mexico with her mate and hatchling.”

“Yuuri's with one of these?” Hiroko asked nervously.

“They're both asleep,” Mari assured her. “Wait here while I get her back down. She won't relax until we have her little one here.” Mari left her parents on the edge of the field, making her way as close as she needed before sending another sleeping spell in the dragons direction. The dragon screeched once in surprise before stumbling to the ground, only able to glare for a few seconds at Mari before her eyes drooped shut.

After a moment to make sure the spell had fully settled in, she turned and waved her parents over. Without all the excitement of a dragon on a rampage, they were eager to get a closer look. “She's gorgeous,” Hiroko said, looking over the long blue tail and slender scaled neck. “But where did she come from?”

“We're still trying to figure all that out,” Mari said. “Right now we're bringing them here to keep them safe.”

Toshiya was staring at the creature in awe. “Were you going to ask us?” he asked, more amused than angry.

“Well...we figured if we got them here first, it'd be harder for you guys to say no,” Mari admitted.

“Of course you can bring them here,” Hiroko said. “Yuuri's been asking for a pet for almost a year now.”

Mari snorted. “These are definitely not pets, Mom.”

“I know,” she said, waving her off. “But he'd enjoy taking care of them. You know he got Outstanding on his Creature Care O.W.L. this year! If anyone knows how to help exotic animals it's him!”

Mari rolled her eyes. “You just think she's pretty.”

“She's darling!” Hiroko agreed, stepping a little closer. “Can I touch her?”

“Not yet,” Mari warned. “We should probably get them all here and calmed down before we let this turn into a petting zoo. Could you two keep an eye on her while I go get the others?”

“Shouldn't we come with you?” asked Toshiya.

“We've got plenty of eyes at the campsite. I'd really appreciate you guys handling this end.”

Hiroko nodded. “Of course. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks,” Mari said. “I just need another minute or two, then I'll head back for the hatchling.”

* * *

“What took you so long?” asked Yuuri.

“I'm sorry, but who here is the only licensed Apparator? Give me a break. I'm supposed to have four colleagues helping. Anyway, I wasn't expecting Mom and Dad to be awake at that hour.” It was near two in the morning in Japan.

Yuuri's stomach dropped. “How did they react?”

“Oh they're delighted,” Mari said, lip quirking up into a smirk. “Very, very confused. But delighted. Mom's already named her.”

“Wha-” choked Yuuri. It hadn't even occurred to him yet, but now that it had, he was jealous he wasn't the one to choose the name. “What did she call her?”

“Azura,” Mari said. “It means 'one who is of sky blue color.'”

“So she just named her Blue?” asked Yuuri. He could do better than that...

“I think it's pretty!” chimed in Phichit. “And she _is_ blue so it's fitting!”

Yuuri chuckled. “I guess you're right,” he said. He looked over to the remaining two dragons. “Which should we do next?”

“We'll do the little one,” said Mari. “That way it's at no point left without a parent.” That seemed reasonable, so Yuuri nodded and followed his sister as she approached. “I'll need a few minutes to get myself together,” Mari said. She had traveled back without any baggage, but it was still a long trip. She needed to make sure she wasn't too tired to focus, or she might leave half herself behind.

After about fifteen minutes Mari was ready to leave with the baby. She carefully picked him up in her arms, adjusting his weight until she felt steady. “I'll be back as soon as I can,” she said. “I'm not sure how long it's been, so when I'm back we'll probably want to do another sleep charm to be on the safe side. Each dragon has a different tolerance.” Yuuri nodded, and in a blink Mari was gone.

He turned around to begin preparing the red dragon only to see it glaring at him, having just witnessed his child wink out of existence and his mate nowhere in sight.

“Oh _shit_.”

* * *

“A _baby_!” cooed Hiroko. “Oh, it's adorable. Boy or girl?”

“Male,” Mari answered, wrestling the limp dragon to the ground carefully. She plopped down next to it, spreading out on the grass. “Humans were not supposed to Inter-country Apparate this many times in one night,” she said, staring up at the stars.

“Honey, go get another potion for Mari,” Hiroko said to Toshiya. “Maybe get us all one.” Toshiya nodded and headed back toward the house. “You're sure Yuuri's alright by himself? One of us could come with you.”

“He's fine,” Mari assured her. “The dragon's out cold.”

* * *

“Out!” Yuuri shouted. “Everybody out of the tent!” The four inside peeked their heads out to see Yuuri running full speed in their direction, and not too far behind him stomped along a very irritated dragon.

“What's going on?” asked Sara.

“RUN!” he screamed, grabbing Sara's arm as he passed and pulling her along. Mickey, Leo and Seung Gil followed after. A few seconds after their exit the dragon passed by, large tail flicking the tent off the ground and sending it crashing to the dirt meters away.

The five students sprinted for the only exit to the enclosed area. “I thought it was asleep!” panted Mickey.

“Well it woke up early!” Yuuri called back. “Mari's the only one who can put it back under!” He took a few deep breaths. “I don't think it can fly yet!” Hence the running.

“Humans can't outrun a dragon,” Seung Gil said.

Yuuri was really counting on it still being too tired and sore from yesterday to put up a fight. Its snout was still magically tied shut, but its tail was free to whip away and it's claws were out. “Just get around the corner,” he said. “And we'll regroup.”

“Where's Phichit?” asked Sara, and a moment later they heard their friends voice from the other side of the opening calling, “Periculum!” and sending up fireworks. With “Fumos!” came a black cloud of smoke, and Phichit came running out of the haze as the dragon charged into it.

“Works every time,” Phichit wheezed when he caught up to them, hands on his knees as he leaned over and gasped for breath.

“That's only going to distract it for a few minutes,” said Yuuri. “I don't know how long it will be until Mari is back.” They could hear the dragon grunting and knocking over cacti and boulders with its tail. “It's also a lot stronger than it was last night, and a lot angrier.”

“We should get out of here,” Sara said. “Last night was one thing, but this is too dangerous!”

Mickey nodded. “It's a lot different when they aren't on your side.”

Yuuri understood their concerns, but was unwilling to abandon it now. “Let's give it ten more minutes,” he said, trusting his sister to return as soon as she could. “She only took the baby this time, her recovery should be a lot faster.” He really hoped she didn't get talking with their parents.

A few tense minutes were spent watching from behind boulders as the dragon raged. The smoke was starting to clear and it would soon be obvious the students were nowhere near it. “Do you think it would catch on if we keep doing the same thing?” asked Phichit. “I could set the smoke off in a different spot each time to keep it busy.”

“That might work,” Yuuri said. He had no idea what the reasoning skills of a dragon were like.

“And if it doesn't?” asked Leo nervously.

“...We come up with a Plan B.” Yuuri glanced over his shoulder at his frightened friends. They were right, this did feel worse than yesterday. “Mari will be here any minute,” he promised again.

“Sara, let's go!” Mickey insisted, tugging urgently on her arm. “This is crazy!”

Sara looked regretfully from her brother to Yuuri. “I'm really sorry Yuuri, but I don't think we can take on a grown dragon. Not now that it's healed.”

“I can take you back to my house,” Leo offered, seeing his own excuse to leave.

Yuuri nodded. “Everybody get out of here,” he agreed. “I'll wait for Mari.”

Leo, Mickey and Sara headed in the direction of the original campsite. Phichit stayed put, assuming it was obvious that he wouldn't be leaving Yuuri alone with this mess. “I'll stay,” Seung Gil said. “As long as you have a better plan than _outrunning it.”_

“Uh, we need to get moving!” Phichit said, noticing the dragon starting look their way. “Around the boulders in three, two, Fumos!” A smoke screen erupted around them once again, and with a hand along the rocky wall they followed it out, hearing heavy footfalls approaching behind them.

They jogged all the way around the semi-circle enclosure to the other side of the opening, wanting to keep the dragon in view. “Should we try to get it back in the ring of boulders?” asked Yuuri. “What if it runs off and...I don't know. Finds a muggle campground or something?”

“But if it chases us in, we'd be trapped. It's a dead end,” said Seung Gil.

“What if I lead it in, you guys create a diversion, and I run out? Then I could levitate some boulders to block off the opening and it'd be stuck in there.”

Phichit frowned. “You really want to get eaten, don't you?”

“It's mouth is tied shut,” Yuuri reminded him.

Phichit ignored that. “I think we should keep playing ring around the rosie like this. We're at a safe distance and it seems to be working just fine.” A loud gusting noise drew their attention, and they watched as the dragon beat its tattered wings quickly. Though full of holes, there was enough remaining to create a decent wind, and it was quickly dispersing the smoke. “Damn it.”

Yuuri took that as his cue to try his own plan. “Just be ready to get it's attention,” he said, and sprinted off. He sent up a few bursts of colorful sparks, and immediately the red dragon was stomping after him. Yuuri was relieved it didn't seem up for running itself, instead following at a brisk walk, but with it's long strides that was fast enough as far as he was concerned.

Yuuri lead it all the way to the far back wall, turning around when he reached it and waiting for his friends to divert the attention of the dragon so he could escape. He looked up at the approaching dragons face, meeting its eyes, and felt the breath knocked out of him. There was more than blind rage swirling in its yellow eyes. It slowed as it approached, and gazes still locked, Yuuri was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense feeling of betrayal, coupled with agonizing grief and loss, a good amount of fury mixed in as

well. It took him a moment to realize he had no reason to be feeling any of those emotions.

“They're okay!” he shouted. “We'll take you to them!” There was no reaction other than the beast taking a few more steps toward him. “Phichit?! Seung Gil?!” He heard fireworks going off from behind the dragon, but it's attention remained fixed on Yuuri. It snorted, and while unable to currently breathe fire, smoke curled from its nostrils. “They're okay!” Yuuri tried again. “...Phichit?!” More fireworks mixed with shouts, but the dragon didn't turn away. Yuuri saw it's tail pull back to one side. “Wait!” he cried, but the tail whipped forward, catching him and tossing him against the rock wall.

* * *

“I'd better get going,” Mari said, feeling better after a short rest.

“I'm going to come with you,” Toshiya insisted. “This is too much for one person. I'll bring the last dragon back so you only have to handle Yuuri.”

“I really think I'll be fine,” Mari tried, but her parents were determined. In the end she gave in and held out her arm for her father to take, allowing him to Side-Along Apparate with her since he didn't know where they were going. “If they so much as change their breathing, you hit them with another sleeping charm, okay?” she said to Hiroko. “You saw what happened when she woke up alone. We don't want a repeat of that.”

Hiroko nodded. “I understand. Now go get Yuuri.” She waved as Mari and Toshiya vanished.

* * *

Dazed, Yuuri felt his wand slip from his fingers. Even semi-conscious he knew that was bad, and he weakly tried to feel around for it. Spots danced in front of his eyes and he tried to blink them away. He wondered if they were smudges on his glasses before he realized his glasses were gone. He jumped when he felt hands settle roughly on his shoulders.

“Yuuri!” It sounded like Phichit. “Oh my god, are you okay?” Before he could answer he felt his friend twist around and heard Phichit let out a barrage of curses. Judging by the increase of panic his voice, they were bouncing right off the scales. “Ooohhh my god, we're gonna die.”

Yuuri finally felt his glasses and hurried to put them on. Phichit's continuous assault of hexes and curses seemed to be irritating the dragon enough for it not to strike again, for it was busy biting at the bursts of light and twitching mildly as the scales deflecting the blasts.

“There!” Yuuri cried, pointing at the creature's right hind leg. “There's a patch with scales missing!” The previous night they'd healed all they could, but hadn't been able to coax the dragon into rolling over to ensure they hadn't missed a spot. “Aim for that!”

Seung Gil, who had been trying to sneak up behind the dragon, had the best angle. “Locomotor Mortis!” The dragon's legs immediately locked into a standing position, though it only kept them still for a few seconds.

“Keep doing that!” Yuuri called, and Seung Gil continued to hit it in an effort to keep the dragon immobilized.

“Petrificus Totalus!” Phichit added, his full body-bind curse also freezing the dragon for seconds at a time.

Yuuri used the time to search for his wand in the sand. By the time he found it his friends had gotten into a routine of trading off when they each cast their spells, ensuring the dragon couldn't move.

“What the-?!” came the familiar voice of his sister. Within a moment the dragon stumbled to the ground, Mari's sleep spell striking true. After the great beast was down and out, Mari looked over the three students to make sure they were okay. “What happened? Where are the others?”

“It woke up early,” Yuuri said, stating the obvious. “Leo, Sara and Mickey left.”

“What do you mean they left?” asked Mari, but Yuuri's answer was cut off by Toshiya's, “Are you alright Yuuri?”

Yuuri blinked. “Dad?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to help you and your sister. Are you alright?” he asked again.

Yuuri looked down at himself and saw he was covered in dirt and mud, bruises starting to appear on his arms and legs. “It got a really good hit in with it's tail,” he said. “Actually, now that you mention it,” and now that the adrenaline was wearing off, “Everything hurts.”

“It body slammed him into the wall!” Phichit said.

“No it didn't,” Yuuri frowned. Mari and Toshiya both put one of his arms around each of their shoulders and helped him to his feet. “Ow...”

“You probably have a couple cracked ribs,” guessed Seung Gil.

“Mom can look you over,” Mari said. Once Toshiya was certain Mari had Yuuri balanced on his feet, he made his way over to the slumbering dragon. “You know what you're doing, Dad?”

“I've been Apparating since before you were born,” he assured her. He reached out and put a palm flat against the dragons scales, and in an instant both were gone.

Mari looked to the two second years. “You two, grab on,” she said. “I'm not making another trip.”

“Shouldn't someone tell the others we lived?” asked Phichit. “You know, in case they're wondering.”

“I'll tell them,” Seung Gil offered. “I'll see if they're back at the campsite.” He looked across the way to the tent crumpled on the ground. “...I'll take that back too. Hopefully we can repair it before Leo's parents see it.”

“Good luck,” muttered Mari before whisking Yuuri and Phichit away.

* * *

After a good amount of fussing over the boys, Hiroko finally left them alone to go soak in the onsen. While he appreciated his mother fixing his cracked ribs and cleaning up the cuts and scrapes, he really just wanted to sink into the healing warmth of the hot spring.

Despite the shower and Mrs. Katsuki combing through his hair looking for injuries earlier, Phichit was still plucking out bits of debris from his hair. “We are _never_ moving them again,” he declared.

Yuuri was nearly up to his chin in water. “Agreed,” he whispered, closing his eyes and feeling the tension start to melt away. They soaked in silence for a few minutes, Yuuri catching himself falling asleep a few times and sitting up straighter in an attempt to prevent that.

“Hey Phichit?” He got a grunt in response. “How are you feeling?”

“Not as bad as you, I bet. But then I didn't get thrown three feet into solid rock.”

Yuuri chuckled. “I don't mean physically,” he said. “Emotion wise, what are you feeling right now?”

“This exact second? Relaxed, I guess. Relieved you're alive. And that I'm alive. You know you're the only one I'd run in front of a murderous dragon for, right? Seung Gil's lucky we didn't send him as bait,” Phichit teased. “I guess kinda proud of what we did too? I mean we interrupted an international black market sale of exotic creatures and moved them halfway around the world. That's pretty impressive for a group of underage wizards.” Sensing there was a reason Yuuri asked, he added, “How are your emotions doing?”

“I'm...not sure,” Yuuri admitted. “I'm not even sure they're mine anymore.” He heard Phichit sit up in the water, and opened his eyes to look at his best friend. Phichit was looking at him curiously. “Earlier today... I felt like I had been ripped away from everything I know. I felt hunted, trapped, and desperate to escape. This tentative trust and gratitude that had been building was shattered when the ones I love most disappeared right in front me. I almost couldn't _breathe_ from the heartbreak of failing them, and then I was just angry.”

“Yuuri... You're allowed to feel however you want, I'm not saying otherwise, but some of that...doesn't really make sense? You didn't fail anyone. And you knew where Mari was going.” And while he'd been the focus of the dragons rage at the end, it hadn't really been hunting him specifically.

“I know,” Yuuri agreed. “It doesn't make any sense. But when the dragon got close I just got hit with all these feelings at once. I think...it was _his_ emotions.” As far-fetched as that sounded.

Phichit's eyes widened. “So you _are_ a dragon whisperer? You can talk to them?”

“There are no such things as dragon whisperers!” Yuuri laughed. “And it's not talking to them really, I just get some...impressions. Of how they're feeling. Like when we found the blue one barely breathing this morning, I remember I felt extreme anxiety. And I thought it was my own anxiety, but it didn't quite feel right.”

“So do you think that's why they calmed down yesterday and let us near them?” Phichit asked. “Maybe they could feel your honest intention to help? Your concern? Maybe it goes both ways?”

“It might,” Yuuri agreed. “I hope so. Because I have to find a way to apologize for scaring him like that.”

“Can you teach me how to do it?” Phichit asked eagerly.

“Ah, I think I need to figure out how it works a little more before trying to show anyone else how to do it,” Yuuri said.

* * *

Yuuri thought it best to leave the trio of dragons alone for a few hours to wake up, reunite, and rest on their own. He had a feeling he had some explaining to do before they welcomed him back with open arms.

That evening he went to the local butcher and purchased the largest cuts of meat he could find. The butcher gave him a weird look as he loaded steak after steak into a bag bewitched with the Undetectable Expanding Charm.

When he returned home he headed out back to the field. Mari had included him among those accessible to the area, so as he approached he could see the family laying together by the treeline, curled together into one large lump of scales and tails.

“Hello?” he called from a good distance away, not wanting there to be any mistake of him trying to sneak up on them. The three raised their heads to look at him. The little brown one hopped to its feet and slid down its mothers back, but before it could take more than a few steps toward Yuuri her tail quickly blocked its path, nudging him back to her side with a short bark of warning. As the red dragon started to stand, eyes narrowing already, Yuuri quickly said, “I know, I know, you're not happy with me right now.”

He set the bag down on the grass and opened it up, reaching in for the meat. “I come with a peace offering,” he said. Still several yards away at a safe distance, Yuuri had no hope of tossing the food to them. Instead he pulled out his wand, “Wingardium Leviosa.” He slowly levitated one of the steaks their way, setting it down before the female. She sniffed it curiously before snatching it up and swallowing it whole. “Okay,” Yuuri said to himself. “This clearly isn't going to be enough to feed all of you if that's just one bite.” Still, he continued, sending each one their way, alternating whose turn it was. He had a particularly good time levitating a steak just above where the little dragon could reach, causing it to hop up and bite at it for a bit before giving in and lowering it enough for it to catch in its teeth. Unlike his parents, he was too small to eat the steak in one go, so he happily sat in the grass tearing off chunks and chirping in delight.

Once he was out of meat he picked the bag up and slung it over his shoulder. “I don't know how much you can understand,” he started. “Or if you can even understand anything at all. But I'm really, really sorry we scared you today. Our plan was that you'd all wake up together here,” he said, gesturing around at the field and trees. “This is for you. All this area. I know it's probably a lot smaller than what you're used to, but I don't know where your home is. Maybe we can get you back there someday.”

Yuuri chanced getting a little closer. “Do you have names?” he asked, but received nothing in reply. “I'm Yuuri,” he said, pointing at his chest. “I have no clue if you're getting any of this. But we need something to call you guys.” He looked to the female. “How does Azura sound?” he asked. “My mom came up with it. For your scales.” She blinked at him, huffing out a little bit of steam. “Azura?” She huffed again.

“Okay, I'm going to take that as you like it,” Yuuri decided. “Azura, I have something for you,” he said, reaching into the bag again. He pulled out a dark little object and tossed it in the air away from the dragons. “Engorgio!” It rapidly began to grow in size as it landed, pushing grass and dirt aside to fit itself into the earth. When everything stilled Yuuri pointed at the large, empty pool and said, “Aguamenti.” It quickly filled to the brim with steaming water. “I used the Gemino doubling charm to make a replica of our outdoor springs,” he said. “I had to shrink it to get it here, but I think it all worked. Now you don't have to worry about your scales drying out.”

Azura's attention was immediately drawn to the water, eyes shining as she looked at it with interest. While Mari had hosed her down while she slept, it had been a few hours since she'd been with any significant amount of water. Yuuri guessed she would be in it the second he left, still not quite ready to let her guard down around him again.

“As for you,” he said, looking to the red dragon. “You did a great job looking out for your family. You pushed through multiple sleeping charms, chased off those poachers, freed yourself from their enchanted ropes... You're amazing. They're lucky to have you looking out for them. So...what about Verndari? It means protector.” There was no acknowledgment other than a hard stare, but Yuuri would take what he could get.

Finally, he looked to the little brown baby. It was peering over its mothers tail, wiggling in excitement but obeying her wish to stay close. “You are the reason they're free, you know that?” Yuuri said gently. “If you hadn't hatched when you did and started calling for your mom and dad, they might not have had the will to fight as hard as they did. You saved them just as much as they saved you. You're a little hero,” he said, and the baby chirped, delighted with the attention it was receiving. “And your name is Victor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will most likely be the last full length chapter featuring the past. Possibly one more if I need to explain a little something I have planned later on...but I think I may only need to put the flashback in with present day. We shall see! I do enjoy baby Vicchan!


	5. Dragons Don't Officially Exist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor is settling into life in Hasetsu, working on balancing his potions shop and learning all he can from Yuuri. But it's been a whole week! When will Yuuri warm up to him? A surprising boost in potion sales may leave him with less time than expected for convincing Yuuri to show him the dragons. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Yuuri consults with Phichit on whether or not it's smart to fully reveal the dragons to Victor. Can his friend See what lies ahead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! :) Victor is about to have a hectic two days! Please enjoy :)

June 2010

As promised, after Victor arrived and set up the banquet room all weekend, Yuuri had knocked on his door Monday evening to deliver a few journals. The penmanship was neat and small, cramming as much information as possible onto each page, and Victor was briefly intimidated at the thought of the volume he had to read. He was extremely grateful though, and eagerly took all Yuuri had. While it was tempting to pull an all nighter and read everything in one sitting, Victor decided to pace himself.

Unsure of the order in which to read them, he took the one off the stop of the stack and opened it. _January 2005 – Azura's appetite is low again. I'm worried she is feeling claustrophobic here. We haven't figured out how dragons in the wild have been able to fly without being seen, and without that I can't let her fly around Hasetsu. We've expanded the enclosure twice so she can glide around the field but she clearly wants to roam free. I wish I could figure out where her home is._

_On a similar note, Verndari may be able to fly again after all. The closest winged animal I could find to them were bats, and after some research I discovered that if given proper care and rest, bats wings can heal on their own without medical assistance. Because our healing spells didn't seem to work as well on the wings as it did on the torso, we decided to see if time was all he needed. See notes from November for more specifics, but over the past 8 months the tears in the wings shrank and healed themselves. They've become weak from non-use, but we've been encouraging him to move and exercise them. (As best you can convince a dragon to do something it doesn't want to.) He can produce a decent gust of wind, and if he beats them hard enough he can get a few feet off the ground._

_I plan to add another area to the enclosure. I've been reading all my Creature Care books over again for ideas, and something struck me the other day in Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. The author Newt Scamander details the original trunk he used in the 20's to transport his collection of magical creatures from England to New York. With an Undetectable Expanding Charm he was able to create multiple large habitats within the case. I suspect we could rig up something similar. Ideally I would like something with a low cliff or small hill for Verndari to slowly practice gliding off. Azura may appreciate a change of scenery too. Maybe we could recreate Hasetsu shoreline so he could safely land in water and Azura could swim. That girl loves water! It's almost impossible to get her out for anything other than flying or playing with Vicchan. _

_Speaking of Vicchan, he's now the size of a horse! The other day...._

Victor reminded himself to pace himself, and limited himself to one notebook per day. He read the whole thing twice, determined to memorize everything from facts to funny stories.

Tuesday morning Victor was down for breakfast bright and early. Yuuri, not particularly fond of mornings, didn't appear for another hour, blinking sleepily as he headed for the kitchen.

“Yuuri!” Victor grinned. “Good morning! Thank you for the journals! I just have a few ques-”

“Tea,” Yuuri said, cutting him off and holding up a hand in the universal _stop_ motion. “No questions before tea.” Victor obediently zipped his lips and waited in the dining room for Yuuri to return with a mug of tea and a plate of eggs. “Okay. What questions?”

Victor's smile was back full force. “Do you know what breed of dragons they are? Are they all the same? And is it just three you have?”

“Well...they all look pretty different. I don't think they're the same. I mean Vicchan must be half and half whatever his parents are, but I don't know exactly what Azura and Verndari are. It's not like we can ask a magizoologist to check their DNA, right?” Books on dragons were rare, and at any rate considered fictional, so he hadn't spent much time collecting them, preferring to learn from the real things.

Victor, on the other, only had books to rely on for years. He leaned down to open the bag at his feet and pulled out a thick leather bound book. “I was thinking, based on your descriptions, that Verndari sounds a lot like a Chinese Fireball. Temperamental, territorial, a little on the aggressive side.”

“A lot on the aggressive side,” Yuuri said with a chuckle. “But he means well.” When Victor found what he was looking for, he pushed the book over to Yuuri, who curiously looked down at the drawing. “That...could be him,” he said. “The tail isn't quite right, it's much thicker than this drawing. I would know, he used it to throw me into a boulder the first time I met him...”

“What?” asked Victor.

“It's a long story. It wasn't really his fault.” He looked back to the drawing. “The wings are a little off too. See here, how the webbing is connected to its body? His are more like a thestrals, connected at the shoulder blade.”

“Hmm, what about this one?” He flipped a few pages and turned the book back to Yuuri. “Norwegian Ridgeback?”

Yuuri nodded. “That looks a little closer. The wings are right. Oh my gosh, does that say they have venomous fangs?! I don't know if that's true, I think I would have noticed...” Either way, Yuuri was still incredibly happy that Verndari never bit him. “Do they vary in color? Because this one looks green and Verndari is red and brown.”

“I imagine they do. Does Azura look like this only blue?”

“Oh no, not at all. She's much smaller. Still huge,” he clarified, “But nowhere near Verndari. She spends over half the day bathing and he's got zero interest in water.”

Victor remembered something from the first day he met Yuuri. “The blue scale was from a sui riu, right? That's what Azura is?”

“Uh, no,” Yuuri said hesitantly. “We've ruled that out. There's a blue sui riu, but it's not Azura.” Victor waited patiently for more, but that was apparently it.

“I've only read one of your earlier journals,” Victor started. “It mentioned the three you found in New Mexico. ...How many more have you seen?”

“ _Seen_? At this point too many to count.” Victor's heart rate spiked again. “Rehabilitated? Probably around 30. There's 11 that currently live in the sanctuary, either unable or unwilling to leave.”

“Sanctuary?” wheezed Victor.

“Well we got tired of calling it the 'enclosure' because it sounds like a cage. The goal isn't to catch and keep them for pets, it's to help them get better and release them back into the wild. A few unfortunately are too injured to be on their own anytime soon, and Azura and Verndari refuse to leave.”

There was a lot to unpack there, but Victor's first question was, “Why?”

“Vicchan, their son, is pretty attached to me. I've been around since he was born, so I'm essentially family. The few times we've tried to release them he refuses to leave without me. I think Azura and Verndari have kind of accepted it by now. And anyway we were never really sure where to take them, since he prefers deserts and caves and she loves the hot springs. She needs to be in a tropical area with warm water. You should see her when she swims, it's amazing. Her wings are better at propelling her through the water than the air. And that's saying something because she's pretty skilled at flying too.”

“I would love to see her swim,” Victor said. He would love to see her, period.

Yuuri seemed to remember he was the one preventing that at the moment, and cleared his throat and changed the subject. “So yeah, I don't think she's the same breed as him.”

Victor resigned himself to another day of waiting. “That's very bizarre then. I've never seen any in person, obviously, but I've never read of any breed mating with a different type. They usually stick together and tend to be aggressive with other dragons.”

“Well you'll never find a more devoted pair,” Yuuri said. “They'd do anything for each other and Vicchan.” He took another sip of his tea. “I've thought about this for a while,” he admitted. “They're clearly very different. Maybe they were caught around the same time and bonded out of necessity? I mean if they were both facing down humans, I would imagine they'd rather team up than fight each other _and_ their captors.”

“Or maybe it was just true love!” Victor teased. “Love can bridge the gap between different backgrounds. Just look at my parents for example!”

Yuuri laughed along with him. “Yeah. Maybe it was just true love.”

* * *

Over the course of the last couple days owls slowly started arriving in greater and greater numbers, much more traffic than Yu-Topia had ever seen. Wednesday morning the front lobby was filled with at least a dozen owls all hooting and looking around for their intended. When Victor came to see if they were for him he was immediately swarmed, each owl attempting to deliver their letter first.

“I'm so sorry!” he was saying to Hiroko again as he helped her sweep up all the feathers. “I'm trying to get them to come to my window, but it's almost always a different owl each time!”

“It's alright,” she assured him. “I had no idea you were so popular!” She'd never seen anyone get that kind of mail.

Victor grinned sheepishly. “It's not personal letters,” he said. “Just orders for potions. Monday night I popped back to my old store and put up a notice with my new temporary location. These are a combination of letters I missed last week when it was closed and ones being forwarded now. It will hopefully calm down soon!”

Victor had spent his time in Hasetsu so far divided between brewing his regular customer's favorites and studying Yuuri's journals. Once he'd caught up on the orders he'd memorized he thought he ought to check if he had any outstanding requests. Turns out he had more than anticipated.

“I don't recognize a lot of these addresses,” he said, flipping through the envelopes in his hand. “A lot of these look Japanese.” He always had the occasional order from Japan, he was popular internationally, but his main client base was Russian.

Hiroko set her broom down and held out a hand for them. “Oh,” she smiled. “Some of these are Yuuri's friends.” She sorted a few out, saying, “Axel, Lutz and Loop. They're his friend Yuuko's daughters. He must have mentioned you were here to them.”

Intrigued, Victor took one and carefully ripped it open. On colorful pink paper was a request for a love potion, clearly written in crayon. “Aww,” Victor cooed. “I can't send that to a child, but I do have a sweet pink treat that I can slap a 'love' sticker on.”

Toshiya entered the front lobby, holding the daily paper. “Have you seen this?” he asked. “It was just delivered. Look what's on page five!”

Hiroko and Victor leaned over each side of Toshiya to see. There was an article featuring a large photograph of Victor, smiling as he twirled a wand over a bubbling cauldron. RUSSIA'S BEST BREWER – HERE IN HASETSU! read the headline. The three all exchanged glances.

“I didn't write to the newspaper,” Victor said, just to get that out there quickly. “I don't even know what your local paper is called.”

“ _Internationally acclaimed Potions Master Victor Nikiforov is confirmed to have relocated his business to Hasetsu, Japan,_ ” Hiroko read out loud. _“While the reason behind the sudden move is unknown, we do know that Nikiforov is now based out of the Yu-Topia Katsuki Onsen._ ”

“I did post the address for mail forwarding,” Victor reasoned. “But I didn't expect it to be advertised like this...”

“That's very strange,” Hiroko said. “Maybe that explains why we've had so many owls today. When did you get the paper, Toshiya?”

“About an hour ago, but I just read it,” he said. “When did the owls start flooding in?”

“There were about a dozen in the past hour,” Victor said. “I had another dozen or so at my window. I suppose a rush like that would be reasonable after an article came out. Nothing I can't handle! This is only half the fanfare there was when I started a new line of Pepperup Potions that didn't leave you with steam coming out of your ears afterwards.”

There was a loud crack announcing the arrival of a young witch. “Is Yuuri here?” she asked, sounding out of breath.

“Hi Yuuko,” Hiroko said. “Yuuri's in his room, I think. Is everything alright?”

“Um, it depends on what you mean by alright,” she said, and disappeared before anyone could ask what she meant by that.

“That was Yuuko,” Hiroko told Victor. “She's the mother of the three girls who wrote you. I wonder what that was about.”

A tinkling sound alerted the three to a guest arriving, chiming as it sensed someone either landing or Apparating into the front yard. As soon as it finished it chimed again, then several more times in a row.

“Must be broken,” Toshiya said. “I'll take a look at it.”

Hiroko went to the front door to welcome the new arrival and to see if they were here for the onsen or perhaps just a meal. She opened the door and let out a gasp. “Oh my!” Witches and wizards were appearing as fast as you could blink, ranging from giggling Mahoutokoro students on summer break to wizards in Japanese Ministry of Magic attire.

Toshiya went to round up Yuuri and Mari while Hiroko began welcoming the first of the crowd.

“Is this where Victor Nikiforov's new store is?” she was asked, several witches bombarding her at once. “Is he here? Oh my god is that him?!”

Victor tried to quiet them down, promising to answer all their questions and take all their orders if they could just please lower their voices and get into a line.

Yuuri, Mari and Toshiya popped in, along with an embarrassed looking Yuuko. “I'm so sorry Mr. Nikiforov!” she said over the chattering crowd. “My girls _love_ potions, and even though we only let them use their kiddy-cauldrons for basic brews, they collect anything with you on it!” The triplets had clipped every article that mentioned him, saving all his recipes despite the fact they could hardly read half the instructions. It didn't hurt they thought he was pretty, and a photo almost always accompanied anything about him. “Yuuri mentioned you were here, and we told the girls they might get to meet you, and I guess they told some friends at school....” And possibly anyone they ran into in town.

Word was definitely out. Victor hadn't had this much of a crowd in years. After the media circus that plagued his first St. Petersburg shop, Victor had moved to a sleepy little unknown town and worked hard to keep a low profile. Whenever he was asked for an interview or appearance he would schedule them in St. Petersburg to keep up the illusion he was still somewhere downtown.

“It's okay,” he assured her. “No harm done. I'm just sorry to disturb the Katsuki's.” While he _was_ residing in their banquet room, his new customer base was taking over the inn's lobby. A lightbulb went off, and he threw on his media smile and gave the gathering crowd his full attention.

With all the charm and grace he'd perfected over the years, he welcomed the customers in and thanked them for such a wonderful turn out. He confirmed that yes he was not only hosting his shop out of the inn, but living here as well, as it was the best inn he'd been at in years! In fact, while you wait for your order, why not take a dip in the hot spring? What could be better than enjoying a large bowl of katsudon while you waited? Oh wow, you came all the way from Hawaii? Why not stay the night! He couldn't get everyone's orders done today, might as well make a little vacation out of it!

Mari took up her usual post at reception, checking in guests who decided to spend the night rather than travel back tomorrow or have their order delivered by owl. She noted most were blushing students who were determined to talk to Victor in person one way or another. Hiroko hurried off to the kitchen to begin cooking while Toshiya sat guests in the dining room and passed out menus. Yuuri set Yuuko to work with a notebook, directing her to take potion orders from anyone who didn't want to dine in, choosing only to place an order and leave, while he worked on those who fancied a day pass for the onsen. Victor of course went to work in his shop.

No one could remember the inn ever being this busy. The line remained out the door late into the evening, with the Katsuki's eventually having to turn customers away. Once everyone was checked in and the last of the dinner guests were shooed from the dining room, all six of them collapsed at a table.

“I'm so sorry,” Yuuko said again, voice muffled since she had her head laying down on her arms, exhausted.

“Don't be!” Hiroko said, pouring herself an energizing potion. “We haven't had business like this in years!”

“A little more warning would have been nice,” Yuuri said, leaning back in his chair, eyes closed. “We'll need to hire help if it's going to be like this for a while.”

“It'll calm down,” Victor assured them.

“Maybe,” said Mari. “Or maybe news travels farther and it keeps up.”

“I'm not sure what all the fuss is about,” he said. “They could have ordered from me anytime before.”

Yuuko looked up. “What all the fuss is about? Are you kidding? You've never left Russia before! And you've been so secretive the past few years!”

“Secretive?” asked Victor. Was that referring to his lesser known storefront?

“Anyone can do an owl order, but it's not everyday a celebrity is here! Buying from you in person is a big deal to fans.”

Mari leaned over to whisper to Yuuri, “He has _fans_?”

“I _told you_ he was popular,” Yuuri hissed back. “They wouldn't have put him in the textbook if he wasn't.”

Victor tapped his lip as he thought. “I see. I suppose it has been a while since I've made any kind of public appearance. I probably should have seen this coming.” He glanced around at all the Katsuki's at the table. “Would it be more convenient for you all if I looked for a place in town to work out of instead?” He enjoyed being so close to them all, working away in the banquet room but never more than a short walk away if he got lonely.

Mari laughed. “We'd be fools to send you away,” she said. “This is free advertising for the onsen. We'll make a small fortune if you draw in crowds like this.”

“Mari,” Yuuri frowned. He thought the same thing but he would have phrased it a little more politely.

Rather than offended, Victor seemed relieved. “Oh I do hope it helps!” he grinned. “Maybe we could set some store hours to try to control it better. I left a decent amount of inventory at home, I should pop over tomorrow morning and get that. I didn't think I'd need so much so fast.” He'd anticipated being able to brew as orders came in. He looked to Hiroko. “I'm out of quite a few things.”

“I probably won't have time to set up the stall in town for a while, but I'll bring my things to the banquet room tomorrow and you can pick out what you need,” she said.

* * *

The following morning Yuuri offered to levitate Hiroko's supplies down to Victor for her. Before he did that though, he had a call to make.

Up in his room, he reached into the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a small two-way mirror. “Phichit,” he said, and in a moment the reflection of his best friend appeared.

“Hey Yuuri!” he grinned. “Long time no see! How's your summer break so far?”

“It's been...fine,” Yuuri said. “I'll tell you all about it later. I actually need a favor from you.”

Phichit grinned, intrigued. “Oh?” he asked. “Okay! What's up?”

Yuuri very rarely asked this, but, “Do you think you could do a quick reading for me?”

Phichit looked thrilled. “Really!?” he beamed. “Of course! Let me grab my stuff!”

While Yuuri had never put much stock in fortune telling, he'd started to change his mind after Phichit's predictions had come true back in his 5th year of school. That had been a major turning point for Phichit as well. Encouraged by his predictions all coming true, their following year he'd thrown his all into studying the art of Divination, quickly going from it being his worst class to his specialty. His tarot readings were astoundingly accurate, providing more detail and specifics than the average reader, and his crystal ball sessions were generally taken as fact rather than prediction.

A few years younger than Yuuri, Phichit had just finished his final year at Ilvermorny. Despite his young age, Phichit already had columns in The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly in which he provided horoscopes, predictions for the community in general, and responses to letters he received from readers. Phichit's devoted following was huge, and it was only expected to grow now that he had graduated and could work full time on Seeing.

“Okay!” Phichit called, announcing his return to the mirror. “I've got the cards, the ball, the tea cup – what do you want?” Before Yuuri could answer he continued himself. “Actually, what's the topic? That'll help determine what I should use.”

“It's about the dragons,” Yuuri said. “I need to know if I can trust someone enough to let them in on our secret.”

“Whoa,” Phichit said. “Okay. Let's do cards.” There was some noise as he pushed away the crystal ball and settled his deck on the table before him. “Give me the quick run down,” he requested. “Who – what – when – where – why?”

“Aren't you supposed to know that?” asked Yuuri.

“Don't question my methods!” Phichit snapped with a smile.

Yuuri chuckled. “Okay. Victor Nikiforov-”

“Victor Nikiforov?!” interrupted Phichit. “Russia's Darling Victor Nikiforov? Why on earth would you want to tell him?”

“Because he keeps asking me to?”

“What?!” Phichit screeched. “Katsuki Yuuri. I leave you alone for one week and suddenly you're talking to Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelor? I'm shocked! Very proud, but shocked!”

“It wasn't exactly planned,” Yuuri said. “We ran into each other last week and one way or another he found out about the dragons, and now he's living at the onsen until I give in and show them to him. I just need to know what kind of outcome that's going to bring me.”

Phichit went quiet for a moment. Yuuri assumed he was reading the cards until his friend asked, “Did you meet him on Thursday?”

“Uh, yeah I think it was Thursday. Why, is that important?”

“And you _ran into_ him?”

“Yeah, like we collided and fell, and a scale got caught on his robe or something. So he came back to ask about it. Why?”

“...No reason,” Phichit said cryptically.

Yuuri frowned. “Peach...”

“Okay so moving forward,” he said. “I see...that you have become accustomed to fighting for what you want, and are constantly on guard, waiting for the next challenge. This makes you defensive of what you have. You need to relax and learn to drop your barriers.”

“So I should let him see the dragons?” asked Yuuri. That's what he's defensive about, right?

Phichit flipped another card. “Goals and objectives are about to be realized, and you feel clear and focused. Your approach is straightforward and you can take advantage of recent news. And, oh,” he smirked, eyes showing a troubling sign of mischief. “Your passion sparks a love affair.”

“What?!” Yuuri cried. A love affair – with Victor? “You made that up!”

“I only read what the cards provide, Yuuri,” Phichit said, still giggling. He flipped one more. “A new arrival changes your dynamic. Oh my god, Yuuri, do you think that means you guys have kids?!”

Yuuri flushed and glared at his best friend. “I'm not having a kid with Victor! I thought you were supposed to be good at this, Phichit!”

Phichit cackled while he tugged his crystal ball back toward him. “Let me get a second opinion,” he said, and as he waved his hands over the glass the fog inside began to swirl. “I'm seeing blonde hair, green eyes, and lots of temper tantrums in your future.” Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Lots of leopard print. Are you adding cats to the sanctuary?”

“No!” he groaned. “I think you're losing your touch, Peach.”

“Excuse me? I am the best physic Witch Weekly's ever had!”

Yuuri flopped back onto his bed, holding the mirror over him. “So do I show Victor the dragons or not?” That's all he called to ask.

Phichit gazed intently at the crystal ball, smile growing to light up his coal rimmed eyes. “Yes. Absolutely. That is a good thing to do.”

“Really? Why?” he asked, surprised by the conviction in Phichit's tone all of a sudden. "What do you See?" 

“Just trust me, Yuuri,” his friend grinned. “Long term this is the best move you can make. Do it on your terms, and when you're ready, but I strongly recommend you keep him around.”

“...Okay,” Yuuri agreed, a little wary of the details but otherwise satisfied that he hadn't set disaster in place by revealing what he already had.

* * *

Yuuri knocked lightly on the banquet door and opened it when he heard Victor call, “Come in!”

“Whoa,” he laughed, taking in the state of the workroom. Half a dozen cauldrons were lined up against the far wall, bubbling away and each producing a different colored smoke. Victor had installed three rows of shelves on each wall and packed them all with bottles and bags of ingredients. Instead of the one counter that had been here the last time Yuuri visited, there were now three arranged in a horseshoe shape with Victor in the center. On his left were various scales in the process of weighing powders, liquids and leaves, the counter in front of him had multiple reference books propped up, parchment and quills covering any space left, and on the right were a row of cutting boards with enchanted knives dicing away at who knows what. “You've been busy.”

“I've been up since six,” he confirmed, looking up from the parcel he'd been wrapping. Beside him was a stack of neatly wrapped packages ready for their owls.

Yuuri stepped inside and walked over to the stack, looking them over with interest. “Do you have an owl?” he asked, realizing he hadn't ever seen Victor with one.

“No. The ones who bring the orders check back in a day or so,” he explained. “I usually don't have need for one.”

Yuuri nodded. “I brought Mom's stuff. What do you need?”

“ _Everything_ ,” said Victor dramatically. He flicked his wand toward the list he'd been making, and waved it over to Yuuri. Yuuri set to work rummaging through everything and counting out what Victor wanted.

“You know,” he started hesitantly. “The lunch rush doesn't start for another hour. While we're definitely busier this morning than usual, I could help you for a little bit if you need another pair of hands.”

Victor smiled. “Really? That would be an immense help. I didn't know you were good at potions! Why didn't you mention it sooner?”

“Well...full disclosure...it was my worst subject in school,” he admitted with a wince. “But if you want me to do something simple like stir...”

Victor inwardly panicked for a moment. The direction in which one stirred was key, along with how many times and how quickly. “Ah, maybe you could bottle and wrap what I have done?” he suggested. Yuuri nodded and let Victor show him which potions were finished, then took the stack of orders and started to see what he could fulfill.

“The first couple days you were here were pretty quiet,” Yuuri said. “Was that because owls were having trouble finding you after such a quick move? Is this the more normal pace of your shop?”

“This is a little more hectic than normal, but basically yes. When I release a new product it gets like this for months, then dies down a little...” Yuuri noticed his smile looked a touch forced now. “I have to remind myself sometimes that it's a good thing.”

Yuuri crossed off another request for a Peace Potion and started wrapping the vial. “You aren't excited you're in such demand?”

“I _am_ ,” Victor said. “I'm proud of my work and I'm pleased people appreciate it. I put a lot of time and effort into developing new recipes. But...there's more to life than standing over a cauldron all day. It gets tedious sometimes.” He motioned toward the stack of orders beside Yuuri. “I'll be having some long nights for at least a week or two to catch up. That means I won't have much time to pick your brain on dragons, which I'd much rather do.”

“Ask me something now,” Yuuri suggested.

“Hmm,” hummed Victor. “I've read a lot of different theories on what they eat. Sheep, horses, _people_. What do they actually eat?”

“People.”

“What?!” shrieked Victor, dropping his wand in shock.

“I'm just kidding!” Yuuri laughed. “In the wild I imagine they eat whatever they want. I've seen them go after basically anything that moves.” Victor was very jealous of that statement. “Here I feed them sheep. They catch whatever wanders into their territory of course, but mostly sheep. Their appetites are enormous. Each dragon needs about 450 pounds of meat a day. Do you have any idea how many sheep that is? It's a lot.”

Victor stared incredulously at him. “Do you have a farm around here I've failed to notice?”

“No, nothing like that. I have a few sheep I take care of, and I use the Gemino doubling charm when it's time to feed them. I tried feeding them with meat from a butcher, but that got really expensive really fast. And they also like catching it themselves,” he said. “Dragons are predators that want to find and catch their prey. A live sheep is more satisfying than pre-cut steaks. It took me a while to stop feeling guilty for the sheep, but... I don't know what else I could do.”

Victor nodded and focused on adding a few powders to the cauldron emitting purple smoke. After two stirs to the right he looked back to Yuuri. “Do they have personalities?”

“Definitely. Very different personalities. There was this adorable green one from Wales, she was afraid of everything. If even a goose landed next to her she would freak out. It was pretty funny until she started shooting jets of fire whenever she was spooked. The only way we got her to stop was when we found another one in a nearby area. He was a little older we think, since he was a bit larger. He really stuck by her side and chased anyone off. Very protective of her. We called him Mickey,” Yuuri chuckled, though Victor didn't get the joke.

Victor was both amused and frustrated. He set his wand down and crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to be too harsh in asking, “How exactly do you _find_ all these dragons? Because believe me, I've been looking.” When Yuuri hesitated, Victor's frown deepened. He was really trying to be patient, but it had been a week since he arrived and he felt like he'd made only the smallest progress. “Am I not ready for that information yet?” Like he apparently wasn't ready to see them...

“It's not that...” Yuuri chewed his lips as he debated what to reveal. _You need to relax and learn to drop your barriers._ “Okay,” he said, mostly to himself. “Let me start from the beginning. When I was fifteen, five friends and I went camping in New Mexico...”

* * *

By the end of the tale of how he'd found the original three dragons, Victor was perched on a workshop stool, starry-eyed and amazed. “And you took it upon yourself to bring them all home?”

“Well I couldn't just leave them there,” Yuuri said. “Verndari and Vicchan might have been okay, but Azura wouldn't have lasted long without water. If I remember correctly there was a little pond or stream around there, but she would have been stranded.” It had been desert as far as one could see in every direction.

“So did you ever find that witch and wizard who had them?” asked Victor.

Yuuri's face fell. “No,” he said. “Mari looked into it with some colleagues from the Ministry she was still close with. No one knew of an Alice or Antonin in the dragon trade.”

“Dragon trade?” asked Victor, having been so caught up in the well-being of the creatures he'd completely forgotten about anything else. “So, this wasn't a one time thing?”

“Unfortunately not,” Yuuri said. “We didn't find those two, but we did find others. Mari's friends tracked down that 'florist' and after a few weeks of undercover work, one of them earned their trust enough to set up a delivery for a little 'snapdragon'. Poor thing must have been only a month or two old.”

Victor's heart ached. “They sell them that young?”

“They'll sell you whatever you want, they couldn't care less.”

He couldn't imagine how many new mothers had their eggs or hatchlings snatched away. “Please tell me they're rotting in Azkaban now.” Yuuri's silence was awfully telling. “Why not?” he demanded.

“Dragon's don't officially exist. Therefore, selling them isn't technically illegal. That's how Mari explained it, anyway.”

“But-! What about animal cruelty?”

Yuuri had raged all the same questions to Mari years before. “It's only a five hundred galleon fine. Considering they stand to make upwards of twenty-five thousand, it's a risk they're willing to take.”

“And no jail time?” Yuuri shook his head. “Why not? How can the Ministry be okay with this?”

“It's not that they're okay with it, it's that they have a lot to lose if these breeders started running their mouths to their cellmates.”

Victor frowned. “What do you mean?”

Yuuri let out a deep sigh. “You aren't going to like this,” he warned. He could tell Victor was getting upset. “Maybe this has been enough for today...”

“I already don't like this!” Victor pointed out. “Just tell me, Yuuri. _Please_.”

“You remember how Mari said during dinner the other night that she worked in the Pest Sub-Division?” Victor nodded. “And how I found out she also worked with dragons during her time at the Ministry?” Victor nodded again. Yuuri stared at him, giving him a minute to put it together.

He gasped in horror. “Dragons are considered _pests_?” Yuuri regretfully nodded, seeing the watery shimmer in Victor's eyes already. “Wha-? Why?!” he cried.

“It goes back hundreds of years. Mari doesn't even know the whole story. What we gather is that originally it was a self-defense thing. Dragons _are_ dangerous. It's reasonable that a few got too close to wizarding or muggle villages and had to be chased off or killed to keep the Statute of Secrecy in tact. But at some point they became over hunted. For pleasure, for profit...maybe even potion ingredients. But the Ministries, and it had to have been more than just Japan, or Britain, or America alone...hunted them to near extinction. It got to the point that whole generations of witches and wizards had never seen one, or even really heard about them anymore. They were just these fantastical beasts of legend. If word got out that they had been real and the Ministry destroyed them? Could you imagine the backlash that kind of news would bring? Not just one breed of dragons gone, but the e _ntire specie_ s?”

Victor sat dumbfounded. His mind went to his old books. Some were hundreds of years old. Were they published when dragons were flourishing? Had the authors actually seen and studied them, rather than document rumors and legends like Victor was always told? “Mari _helped_ them cover this up?” asked Victor in disbelief. That went against everything he thought he knew about the Katsuki's.

“No! She had no idea at first! She really did start off with nogtails and bundimums. She's always been very talented when it came to magical creatures, and she was moved up from raising albino bloodhounds very quickly. She was put on the Pest Advisory Board after two years, and that's where she was informed about the 'dragon infestations.' The Pest Advisory Board is just its public name,” Yuuri said. “It's known internally as The Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau.”

Victor didn't like the sound of that at all. “And The Bureau's purpose?”

“Officially? Ensure the Statute of Secrecy and protect unsuspecting populations from dragon attacks. Unofficially...keep this dark part of the Ministry's past under wraps...by any means necessary.”

“So...Mari...what was her role in all this?” Victor asked.

“Very minimal,” Yuuri insisted. “Like I said, she didn't know what was going on at first. They were all told the public would panic if they knew dragons were out there roaming free, it was better to handle incidents quietly. If a dragon attacked a village, or if someone spotted one somehow, they were sent to retrieve it and relocate it. Any witnesses had their memory Obliviated. The dragons were moved to another mountain, or another valley, or another desert. Until some started getting lost in transportation.”

Victor's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Mari started noticing that dragons were 'getting loose' when a few agents in particular were transporting them. Not a lot, but enough to catch her eye. She reported her suspicions that they were delivering the dragons to a third party and falsifying their escapes. There was supposedly an investigation, but the agents were never fired as far as she knows and Mari was transferred out of the Beast Division as a whole. They put her in the Werewolf Capture Unit. That division has the highest rate of agent fatalities in the entire ministry. She had a feeling she wasn't supposed to last much longer and quit.”

Victor was horrified. “Oh my god,” he breathed.

“She came home and started helping with the onsen. She figured if she kept her head down and stayed quiet they'd leave her alone, and so far that seems to be true. She didn't really expect to ever have to deal with dragons again, until I called her.”

“I...I don't know what to say. I don't know what to _think_.” A conspiracy of this magnitude had never occurred to him. “Do you believe all the Ministries know?”

“They must. Dragons live everywhere. There's no way Japan's Ministry could hide all this on it's own.”

“Whose Ministry started it?” asked Victor.

Yuuri shrugged. “That's unclear at this point. I imagine they all helped in the original over hunting and they all don't want that getting out. So now when poachers are caught, or breeders are exposed, or anything like that, they're just fined and sent on their way. If the Ministry tries to do any more than that they can threaten to expose the existence of dragons. Sure you can Oblivate that one poachers memory, but he's got contacts. It would get out before everyone could be silenced. So they're free to continue selling eggs and killing dragons for their hides.”

“I...I need to sit down,” said Victor.

“You _are_ sitting down,” Yuuri pointed out, looking at Victor with concern as he rocked on the wooden stool.

“Then I need to lie down,” he said. “Can you turn the fires down for me when the smoke turns black?” Without waiting for a response Victor Disapparated into the guest room beside the banquet room. After expanding his operation to accommodate the sudden boom in business he'd been forced to relocate his sleeping quarters to another room.

Yuuri looked to the six bubbling cauldrons on the wall, smoke all different colors, none of them black. He wondered how long this would take.

He settled back onto the stool, continuing to bottle and wrap the completed potions, glancing every minute or so over to the cauldrons to check the color. He understood Victor had quite the shock just now, and was happy to help keep him caught up on his work while he had some time to himself to process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Victor has a Gilderoy Lockhart-esque following but just wants to make potions in peace! 
> 
> Can anyone guess the new arrival Phichit foretold? xD Hmmm so hard to tell....
> 
> Also, I don't know who I was kidding last time, but the flashbacks are definitely still full length, at least for next week!


	6. Spring Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri is in his 6th year at Ilvermorny, currently home on Spring Break and checking in on the dragons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Memorial Day! Here is an early snippet in celebration! This Thursday will have the regularly scheduled update, but I had this done and thought I'd share!

March 2005

Yuuri trudged through the snow out back toward the field. It had been over two months since he'd seen the dragons with school taking up so much of his time. Finally home on spring break, he eagerly made his way to them. He could see Azura in the air, circling slow and low over the ground, Vicchan chasing her below, hopping up and nipping at her tail. “Vicchan!” he called when he was close.

The dragon gave one last attempt at catching his mother before turning and darting for Yuuri. He wasn't very aware of his size these days, and Yuuri had to happily call, “Whoa whoa whoa!” as he approached. “Don't jump!” Vicchan was as large as a horse and far too big to tackle Yuuri full force. The young dragon was going too fast to stop, so he leapt over Yuuri before landing and skidding to a halt.

“Good boy,” Yuuri praised, reaching out to pat his scales when he came to sniff at the wizard. “You're getting so big! I remember when I could hold you with one arm...”

Vicchan's high pitched chirps had grown into deeper, lower sounds as he'd gotten older. He rumbled happily as he nudged his head against Yuuri's chest, seeking more pats. His mother passed over once again, letting out a pleased bark of greeting before going to land at the entrance of the recently created caves.

As soon as the weather had grown colder it had become apparent that snow did not suit either of them well, Verndari in particular. The red dragon had grown slow, his appetite dwindled, and soon he'd hardly do anything but sleep. Azura was often seen breathing her hot steam on him, calling softly in concern. It was clear leaving them to sleep in the field or the trees was not going to be sufficient.

Yuuri's parents had helped him rework the landscape on one side of the large field. It had taken several weeks, but they'd magicked up rocks and boulders and mapped out a small maze of caves. Verndari had immediately moved himself and his family inside, and more often than not they glimpsed smoke coming from the mouth of the cave, signaling the red dragon was keeping them all toasty warm with his fire.

That was where Yuuri assumed he was today. Vicchan was willing to venture out into the snow, but Yuuri didn't anticipate seeing his dad outside anytime soon. “Is Mom trying to get you to fly?” he asked. “You'll only catch her if you fly.” Vicchan hopped away several yards, looking over his shoulder to make sure Yuuri was following. “I'm coming,” he assured him. “But don't think this conversation is over. I'm only home for a week, so if you're going to learn to fly it better be now, or you have to wait until May.”

Azura was still standing guard at the mouth of the cave when Vicchan rushed by her. Yuuri gave her a smile as he scooted past her as well, her large scaly body almost taking up the whole opening. Most wizards probably wouldn't knowingly walk into a dragon's lair, but Yuuri had no fear. Despite knowing the family for less than a year he felt entirely comfortable marching into their home.

A few dozen yards in the cave expanded to the main area where the dragons all slept. Verndari was snoozing along the far wall, fireplace roaring beside him. Yuuri had charmed it to always stay lit for several hours after Verndari set it ablaze, allowing for the dragons to choose when they wanted a comfy fire and not relying on Verndari to constantly breath flames. They had caught on rather quickly, and the red dragon was usually found curled up beside it on cold days.

Vicchan was nowhere to be seen in the main chamber, so Yuuri ducked down one of the smaller tunnels. “Vicchan?” he called. “Are you down here?” A familiar, playful grunt sounded from further down, so Yuuri kept going, pulling out his wand and whispering “Incendio” to light the torches he'd put along the walls to help the Katsuki's see in the dim light. “What are you doing down here?” he asked.

Of course, there was no reply but a happy rumble. He rounded the corner to see Vicchan sitting at the end of the tunnel, waiting patiently for Yuuri. Yuuri sighed and put his hands on his hips. “It's not ready yet,” he reminded Vicchan, who turned to claw at the stone. “It's supposed to be a surprise.” He glanced over his shoulder as if he expected Azura to be right behind him. “...Fine,” he said, never able to tell the baby no. “But don't tell them yet, okay? I want to see their reactions.”

Yuuri raised his wand and tapped three times on the wall. The solid wall melted away to reveal a stone staircase that spiraled down into the darkness. “I shouldn't have let you catch me down here Christmas break,” he grumbled, watching the dragon dart past him. With another “Incendio” he lit the torches and made his way after Vicchan.

At the bottom of the staircase was an enormous cavern, enchanted with so many Undetectable Expanding Charms the ceiling was too high to see. To the left were several acres of tropical jungle, rich with trees and beautiful flowers, hot and humid. A warm, deep lake lay between it and a grassy plain. The flat land rolled into gentle hills, beyond which was a small mountain, bewitched to always have a gentle snowfall at the top. Finally, a dry, arid desert, complete with cacti and firedrakes.

“Yuuri!” called Toshiya, who was charming desert flowers into the sand. “I didn't expect you until tomorrow morning!”

“I finished my last exam in record time, so I had Mari bring me a little early.” He came up to join his father, admiring the flowers. “These look great.”

“Thanks, I-” A loud yelp drew their attention, and they saw Vicchan coughing near a cactus that was missing a limb.

“Oh, Vicchan, no,” Yuuri cooed, hurrying over. “Those aren't for eating, they're very sharp!” He had just made it over in time to pat the dragon when it unleashed a breath of flames, burning the cactus to a crisp. Yuuri scoffed and patted his neck. “That was a bit of an overreaction.”

“I thought we weren't letting them down here until we were done?” asked Toshiya, repairing the cactus and making Vicchan glare at it all over again. “How does he even know about it?”

“He followed me down the tunnel during Christmas break. I thought they were all sleeping or I would have been more careful. I put the wall back up before he got to it, but I heard him crying all the way down here.” Vicchan had been horrified that Yuuri had gone around a corner and disappeared. “I didn't want him to wake Azura and Verndari so I let him down...”

Toshiya shook his head with a fond sigh. “That pup is so spoiled.”

“Oh like you could sit here and listen to him whine any longer than I could,” Yuuri teased back. Looking to the dragon, he patted his shoulder twice. “Come on Vicchan, down,” he gentley urged, and Vicchan knelt on one knee. He pushed off the ground and swung a leg over Vicchan's shoulders, leaning forward to brace his hands on his long neck, gripping with his knees. “Okay. Slowly. Let's go check out the jungle. Maybe dad put a new treat in there for you.” Toshiya rolled his eyes but didn't deny it. With a gentle kick to the side Vicchan straightened up and began to walk over to the tropical environment. “Much better than last time!” Yuuri praised, remembering how he'd been thrown off when Vicchan immediately bolted out of excitement.

“Much better!” Toshiya agreed. “Last time he definitely went faster!”

At the word faster, Vicchan visibly perked up. “No, no!” Yuuri scolded, but the dragon hopped once before taking off in a sprint. “VICCHAN, SIT!” Yuuri looped his arms around the scaly neck as the dragon happily leaped over tree trunks and swerved through the trees. When space permitted he beat his wings, giving his jumps a good amount of air. “SIT!”

Movement caught the young dragons attention, and he skidded to a halt only to start racing in another direction. Yuuri could see a black blur ahead of them, though he couldn't tell exactly what it was. Vicchan let out a few excited burst of flames, quickly catching up to whatever prey he'd spotted and snatching it up with his powerful jaws. It only took a few chomps before he was swallowing it whole, panting happily as he caught his breath with Yuuri still gripping his neck for dear life. “...Sit,” Yuuri said weakly, and the brown dragon obediently sat. Yuuri slid off his back and sank to the ground.

Vicchan hiccoughed twice before spitting out a chunk of chewed meat at Yuuri's feet. Yuuri had seen Azura do that often when Vicchan was newly hatched, aware her little one had trouble chewing tough flesh. He supposed Vicchan thought his teeth were pretty pathetic in comparison to a dragons. “Thanks boy,” he said, giving his hind leg an affectionate rub. “It looks delicious, but I just ate. You can have it.” Vicchan eagerly nabbed it with his front teeth, tossed it up and caught it in mid air, swallowing it with clear satisfaction. “What a fearsome hunter you are,” Yuuri praised, and laughed when Vicchan rolled onto his back, belly up and clearly wanting more rubs.

With tending to the dragons becoming a daily chore, Mari volunteered to handle most of it when Yuuri was away at Ilvermorny. She charmed the top of the underground cavern with a spell to simulate the outside sky, brightening it up immensely, at least during the day. In one corner of the plains she fenced off an area that would later be home to sheep, guarding it with a number of spells to keep away any dragons that might come looking for a snack.

Yuuri was insistent that they show the dragons during spring break. “I want to be here when they see it,” he said. “And I don't want them to wait until summer. It's about ready! They won't care if we redecorate now and then.” The Katsuki's had spent almost four months designing and creating the underground habitats. In addition to more space for the dragons, they wanted to test which environment was the most appealing for them in the hopes it would help them pinpoint where they should release the dragons. As attached as Yuuri was to them, if they were secretly longing for a home, he wanted to get them back there.

Yuuri had to leave for school on Sunday, so they decided to reveal the surprise on Friday. That morning they all went out to the caves and found Verndari snoozing by the fire as usual, Azura laying next to him, watching over him with a fond expression in her eyes. She turned at the sound of footsteps and barked out a welcome, clearly a little surprised to see all four Katsuki's.

Like they normally did, Yuuri's family let him take the lead on this, as out of all of them the dragons seemed to favor him. “Is Vicchan here?” He must have been close enough to hear his name, because they heard a happy cry and the sound of flames. A moment later Vicchan came trotting out from one of the caves many tunnels. He immediately zeroed in on Hiroko, sniffing at her hands and pockets. She always smelled like she'd just been in the kitchen cooking up something tasty, and she usually brought some for him. He was in luck, for she pulled her wand out, gave it a small swish, and before him floated a few pork cutlets. Vicchan snapped at them eagerly.

“Vicchan, go wake your dad up,” Yuuri said. Mostly because even he wasn't willing to poke a sleeping dragon. Vicchan had no qualms about it though, and went to happily jump on his father. He was quite a bit bigger now, and while unable to slid down his father's side like before, he could still drape himself over the large back. Verndari huffed in irritation as he stirred, peeking one eye open. Upon noticing his audience, he slowly sat up, taking the time to nuzzle against Azura before getting to his feet. “Good morning!” Yuuri called. “Sorry to wake you, but we've got something for you all!” The dragons looked blankly at him, still puzzled by the whole family being there at once. “Um. Follow me?” he tried, and started down the tunnel that lead to the spiral stone staircase.

Catching on to where he was going, Vicchan eagerly darted past him, leading the way with happy rumblings. The rest of the Katsuki's followed, with the adult dragons trailing along. They had no doubt fully explored their new home and found this to lead to a dead end. When Yuuri reached the wall, he tapped three times and looked over his shoulder, watching them look curiously at the disappearing wall. “This will stay open,” he said, motioning to the passage that was now revealed. “Follow me.”

Vicchan pushed past to be first down the stairs, calling over his shoulder for his parents to hurry up. The Katsuki's swiftly followed, hurrying in case Azura or Verndari thought to try to push past as well, which would probably leave the wizards plastered against the walls.

At the bottom of the staircase Yuuri turned around, eager to see their expressions when they first glimpsed the new area. Azura appeared first, coming to a stop and causing Verndari to bump into her, breathing out a small fireball in annoyance. She took a few steps forward, eyes scanning over the massive landscape and settling on the lake. Immediately her wings flew open and she was in the air, the Katsuki's knocked to the ground by the gust of wind she left in her wake.

While Yuuri had made the original hot springs in the field much larger than any at the onsen, it was still only big enough for Azura to lounge in and keep hydrated. He knew she adored it, but suspected a larger body of water is what she'd prefer.

Azura dove into the lake with a large splash. After several seconds she still didn't emerge, and Verndari seemed to be quite alarmed by this. He took off as well, flying over to the lake and circling above it, calling out for his missing mate. Yuuri wondered if he had been right in thinking the two had met in captivity. Perhaps he'd never seen Azura swim either.

Just as Verndari looked about ready to dive in after her, and considering his distaste for all things water, that was saying something about his concern, Azura burst from beneath the surface at the other side of the lake, effortlessly transitioning into soaring once again.

“Wow,” Yuuri said quietly. Not only was she graceful with an underwater takeoff, but she was also apparently extremely fast when it came to swimming. “It took her less than thirty seconds to cross the lake...”

Azura continued to dive in and out of the water, twirling happily and sending water droplets in Verndari's direction as she did. He roared a complaint, seemingly free to feel annoyed now that he knew his mate wasn't in danger. He would come to regret the attitude though, for the next time Azura surfaced, she did a loop in the air and flew straight for him. Before he could comprehend what she had in mind she'd crashed into him, pushing him under the water.

“Oh!” cried Hiroko in surprise. “Are they okay?”

“I'm pretty sure they're just playing around,” Yuuri said. A moment later Azura was back in the air, trilling happily and breathing a triumphant burst of steam. Verndari's head poked above the water line, bobbing as he treaded water for possibly the first time in his life. They could see his wingtips now and then as he beat them, glaring up at Azura circling above him.

“Can he swim?” asked Toshiya. “Should we levitate him out?”

“Give him a minute to figure it out,” Mari said. “If he looks like he's really struggling then I'll pull him out.”

Eventually he seemed to get his limbs coordinated enough to begin making his way to the shore. He attempted to fly a few times but his wings were either soaked and too heavy or he couldn't figure out how to take off without pushing off the ground. Soon he was in shallow enough water to walk out, shaking out his wings and stomping over to the desert sand. Vicchan was instantly as his side, having watched everything from the shoreline, and was hopping along his father's side, rumbling merrily. Yuuri wondered if he was asking what it was like to swim. The roar that answered clearly showed how Verndari felt about it.

Azura continued diving for almost half an hour. Yuuri didn't think he'd ever seen her happier, except perhaps when she had her family wrapped around her for a nap in their cave. Vicchan had laid beside his father in the hot sun for several minutes before getting bored and returning to the lake. He watched just as fascinated as the Katsuki's as his mother swooped and dove with ease. Still unable to fly himself, Vicchan apparently decided he should give swimming a go. He trotted into the water until he could no longer reach, then cried for help. Azura landed beside him, ushering him back to shallower waters.

While mother and son had their first swimming lesson, Yuuri and his family walked around the habitats, making sure everything was in order. By the time they had finished Azura and Vicchan were out of the water and making their way over to the still pouting Verndari. Fully dry from baking in the desert sun, he continued to lay still, whether actually asleep or just pretending was unclear. Azura sidled up to his side, plopping down and nuzzling against him with soft calls of affection. Verndari grumbled and swatted his tail at her. Undeterred, Azura continued, managing to wiggle her head under his which had been resting on his front feet. He huffed but let her stay.

Within five minutes Verndari was getting to his feet and nudging Azura to stand as well. Though she hadn't even begun to dry out yet, he still lead her over to the cool grass before laying down again, Azura curling up along his entire front. The length of time she could go without another dip greatly increased on the plain verse napping in the desert heat, thus ensuring him several hours of snuggling his mischievous mate.

Yuuri was disappointed to leave on Sunday without Vicchan having taken flight. The little one loved to chase his parents as they flew, but it wasn't sinking in that he too could fly if he beat his wings. “You have to wait until May, okay?” Yuuri instructed, holding Vicchan's snout to make him look him in the eyes. “I don't want to miss it.” With that said, Yuuri took Mari's hand and Disapparated, bound for Ilvermorny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thursday's update will also be from Yuuri's school days! 
> 
> Next time- Impressed by his Oustanding O.W.L. last year, Ciao Ciao selects Yuuri to represent Thunderbird House in Ilvermorny's annual Transfiguration Tournament.


	7. The Transfiguration Tournament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ciao Ciao's help Yuuri enters the annual Transfiguration Tournament. Can he pull off a stunt that's big enough to wow the judges?

March 2005

Yuuri's sixth year of school was, unsurprisingly, the hardest yet. But it wasn't only classes and homework that were wearing him down. After receiving an Outstanding on his Transfiguration O.W.L. last year, his Head of House and Transfiguration professor, Professor Cialdini, had encouraged him to enter in this years Transfiguration Tournament. Their house Thunderbird hadn't won since 1926, but Cialdini believed Yuuri showed enough promise to finally snag them a victory.

That was why Yuuri was here in the library long after his friends had dispersed. Professor Cialdini had given Yuuri _A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_ and asked that he had it read by the end of the month. Yuuri wasn't about to admit he only understood half of what the book was trying to tell him. Instead, his solution was reading and rereading until the complex theories made sense. It had to happen sometime, right?

By this time of year, the rest of the class was struggling with charming flobberworms into fritters or cauldron cakes into cabbages. Yuuri had mastered tasks like that ages ago, and was privately working on his own personalized curriculum which involved the Bird-Conjuring Charm and, something he was a more than a little anxious about, human transfiguration.

“Don't fret too much,” Professor Cialdini had said when he'd seen Yuuri's eyes go wide at the mention of it. “Sixth years frequently learn human transfiguration.” Yuuri had been very skeptical of this, but after some asking around to other students and professors, he learned that it did indeed used to be a common topic for the class. Too many injuries and accidents over the years lead to it being less and less popular though, until most professors just mentioned the theory of it and moved on.

Yuuri knew for a fact that the best the Pukwudgie representative could do was change an owl into opera glasses. Judges seemed to like animals being involved, or at least every winner in the last hundred years seemed to be someone who did something like conjured a creature out of thin air or transfigured a love note into a lovebird.

With that in mind, and inspired by one of the last chapters in this advanced textbook, Yuuri had found his ticket to first place: animagi.

It was perfect! Not only would it incorporate Cialdini's desire for human transfiguration, but it would also have an animal as the end result! Yuuri wondered what his animagus form would be, he hoped something appealing to the judges like a fox or bird. With his luck he was worried he'd be stuck as a Blast-ended Skrewt.

The following week Yuuri and Phichit met in the greenhouses after classes. “You want to eat a mandrake leaf?” Phichit asked in disbelief. “ _Why_?”

Yuuri sighed. “I don't want to eat it, Phichit. I just need to keep it in my mouth for a month.”

Phichit stared at him. “That's even weirder, Yuuri. _Why_?” he asked again.

“It's for class,” he said dismissively, but Phichit wouldn't stop pestering until he got a real explanation. “Okay, okay. I've been looking up animagi.”

“Ani-!”

“Shh!” Yuuri hissed, clamping a hand over Phichit's mouth and glancing around. There were a few Horned Serpent students on the other side of the greenhouse they were in, but they didn't seem to be paying Yuuri and Phichit any attention. “Be quiet. I don't want anyone to know. It's a surprise for the Transfiguration Tournament.”

“Are you even allowed to do that?!” asked Phichit.

Yuuri nodded. “I'm working with Professor Cialdini on it. He thinks it's a great idea. They haven't had a student apply for an animagi license in years, he's actually more excited than I am, to be honest.” While fun in theory, the ability to transform into an animal at will didn't have a lot of practical applications. The process was extremely time consuming and difficult, leading to most witches and wizards not bothering with it.

“And eating mandrakes is step one?”

“Again, I'm not eating a mandrake, or its leaves. I have to keep one leaf in my mouth for a month straight. If I swallow it or take it out for any reason, I have to start over. And I have to start on a full moon, which is tomorrow.”

Phichit nodded. “Okay. Let's find you a tasty leaf!”

Before getting into bed the next evening Yuuri sat on the edge of his bed, twirling the leaf between his fingers. This was going to be a long month. He closed his eyes and stuck the leaf in his mouth, pushing it to lay flat against the inside of one cheek. It thankfully didn't have a poor taste, or really any taste at all, except a bland grassy kind of flavor that he quickly stopped noticing.

The first thing to get used to was not accidentally swallowing the leaf while eating or drinking. He had a few close calls the first week before he got the hang of it.

Over the course of the month Professor Cialdini met with Yuuri twice a week to tutor him on more challenging charms. He assigned more reading and essays, and Yuuri felt that any spare minute not spent in class or sleeping was spent making objects vanish and reappear.

“Don't burn yourself out, okay?” Phichit said one day while both were studying in the common room. “You have other classes than Transfiguration.”

“I know,” Yuuri frowned. “I'm doing fine in everything.”

Phichit tapped his quill on the table in contemplation. “I thought Creature Care was your thing. Why are you suddenly so into Transfiguration?”

“I don't want to let Thunderbird down,” Yuuri said. The House was counting on him to win. He was naturally gifted in Creature Care and devouring information on magical creatures was more like an enjoyable hobby than studying. “If we had a Magical Creature Tournament I'd much rather do that. But Cialdini chose me to represent the House, and I don't want to disappoint him.” Phichit was still kind of frowning at him, so he changed the subject with, “How's Divination?”

Phichit lit up. “Amazing! I've gotten Outstanding on _everything_ this year. I swear Faustus only gave me an Acceptable last year because he didn't think a second year should be in his class.”

“Or because you didn't have all the reverse cards memorized.”

“Yuuri! You're supposed to be on my side!”

* * *

On the night of the next full moon, Yuuri was relieved to see it was a clear sky. He really didn't want to have to keep this leaf in his month another month if the moon had been blocked. Just before midnight he quietly went down to the deserted common room, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Okay, I need to be in the moons pure rays,” Yuuri said to himself. He went and pulled the curtains all the way open, allowing the moonlight to pour into the room. With that done, he pulled out a vial from his bag and finally spit the mandrake leaf out into it. He then plucked one of his hairs and dropped that in the vial too and held it up, making sure it got plenty of moonlight.

This was the part he had dreaded the most, even more than sucking on a leaf for thirty days. He was abysmal at potions, and this was a very sensitive brew. If he messed it up he'd have to start all over again with that damn leaf. After he was certain it had bathed in pure moon rays long enough, he brought it over to one of the tables and sat down. From his bag he pulled out everything Professor Cialdini had given him and laid them out the table. A silver teaspoon of dew that has not seen the sun or touched by human feet for seven days (Yuuri thought that was oddly specific, but okay), and the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. He added each carefully and swirled the contents around for a bit. He tripled checked there wasn't a spell or chant he was supposed to be doing – no, that was the next step for another night. Now all he had to do was keep this in a dark, quiet place where it's guaranteed not to be disturbed.

He gathered up his things and put them into his bag, wrapping a cloth around the vial for extra security during its short travel back to his bedroom. Once upstairs he put the wrapped vial at the bottom of his trunk for safe keeping. Satisfied that he had managed to do everything correctly, he flopped back onto his bed. All that was left was to wait for an electrical storm. Until then, every sunrise and sunset he must chant the incantation _Amato Animo Animato Animagus_ with the tip of his wand placed over his heart.

It was unclear if he had to start that tonight. The sun had long since set, but just to be on the safe side, he pulled his wand out and placed the tip to his chest. “ _Amato Animo Animato Animagus,”_ he whispered. And with that, he set his wand down and settled in for sleep.

* * *

Three days passed with no thunder or lightning in sight. Yuuri dutifully did the incantation twice a day and hoped a storm would hurry up and come. He was so close!

This afternoon, with classes over for the day, Yuuri was kneeling on the front lawn of Ilvermorny helping his Creature Care professor with the arrival of a dozen little mokes. Yuuri lifted one of the little silver-green lizards and cupped his hands, watching it blink up at him in curiosity. “These can grow and shrink at will?” asked Yuuri, turning his hands over as the little moke walked around.

“Yes,” said Professor Odagaki, catching a rogue lizard as it tried to escape from the box they'd come in.

“I can't imagine it getting any smaller,” marveled Yuuri, grinning as the little guy ran up his arm to his shoulder.

“This is about as small as they get,” she said. “It'll only get bigger.”

Yuuri nodded. “How big do they – oh!” he cried in surprise, suddenly feeling a weight across his shoulders. He turned his head to see a large lizard head very close, staring at him. “Okay, hi there,” he laughed awkwardly, reaching up to unwrap his new moke scarf from him and realizing he won't fit in the box now. “Where did you want them?”

Professors Odagaki picked up the box with the eleven smaller mokes and got to her feet. “Follow me, I have a little area by the greenhouses set up for them.” Yuuri followed after, needing to hold his moke with both arms and already feeling its weight getting to him. He whispered a request for it to shrink just a little, but it seemed to either not hear or not care. Yuuri wondered if his reptile rapport was only with dragons.

Beside Greenhouse #2 was a small fenced in area. Inside were a few tree trunks, flowers, puddles and moss. Yuuri was sure the little things would easily escape, but Odagaki had thought ahead. While it appeared to only have a wooden fence, she approached and pushed on what Yuuri had thought was simply air. He heard rather than saw a door open, and realized she'd enchanted the walls of the enclosure to be invisible. “They tend to get a little claustrophobic,” she explained. “So I wanted them to have plenty of light and be able to look around. After our two class periods on them they'll be off to Hagrid at Hogwarts,” she smiled. The two professors frequently kept in touch and lent each other unique animals to study. “He'll release them in the Forbidden Forest when he's done with them. They'll do nicely in that climate. Though I suspect he'll keep at least one for himself in his garden.”

Yuuri started to hand over the large moke when he noticed some of its scales were missing. “Professor?” he asked, holding the lizard so she could see the bald spot. “I think it might have gotten into a fight with its friends on the way here.”

She hummed in agreement. “They were packed in too close together,” she said with a little frown. “The breeder should have known that, but whatever is easiest for them is what they do.” She picked the moke up and looked for any more scales missing. “Ah, a little wound over here too, poor thing. Doesn't look too painful though, just a scratch. Here, could you hold it while I get my wand?” she asked, but Yuuri already had his out.

“ _Vulners Sanentur_ ,” he said quietly, watching the little bite mark quickly heal. “ _Lenio._ ” He dropped a few pain relieving pearls onto the spot for good measure. Professor Odagaki looked delighted.

“Nicely done,” she praised.

“It won't help the scales regrow, but it's the least we could do,” Yuuri said. “They'll grow back in about six months.” He seemed to realize who he was talking to and flushed. “But of course you know that already, Professor!” he stammered out.

She was still smiling. “It's nice to know students are paying attention to class,” she said. “Though I didn't think we'd covered anything with scales this year.”

“I, er, have a lizard at home,” he said. “A couple, actually. I noticed when one got into a fight and lost some scales that they grew back in a few months. They're not quite the same shade, but you have to really squint at them to notice.”

“I'm surprised you never mentioned them in class!” she said.

“I just got them not too long ago,” he said.

She tapped her chin as she thought, an idea striking her. “What would you say to having them for our class next week? It would be a good addition to the mokes. Maybe your parents could bring them.”

Yuuri's eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. No. My parents are busy...they run a business...I don't think they could get away.... Thanks though. That would have been fun.”

Professor Odagaki looked a little put out. “Okay then,” she said. “Just the mokes will do. Thanks for your help. They're sneaky and an extra set of eyes is just what I needed to make sure they all made it in.”

“No problem,” Yuuri said, noticing some of her hair moving oddly on the top of her head. “Um, Professor. I think one might be in your hair.” With a gasp she jumped and started patting her head, pulling a tiny moke out and reaching into their enclosure to place on a tree trunk.

* * *

Another few days passed, and on Wednesday morning Yuuri was starting to panic that there wouldn't be a storm before the tournament. They had three weeks of school left, the Transfiguration Tournament this Friday followed by two weeks of exams.

“Good news!” Phichit said as he plopped down beside Yuuri at breakfast. “It's supposed to rain tonight.”

Across from them, Seung Gil raised an eyebrow. “That's good news?”

“It just hasn't rained in a while,” Yuuri said, subtly jabbing Phichit with his elbow. “My Herbology project was starting to dry out, and it's a pain to have to go to the greenhouses everyday.”

It was incredibly hard to focus on classes all day, but somehow Yuuri managed to absorb most of the information. Luckily most classes were reviewing for exams rather than introducing new material.

Before getting into bed, Phichit offered to come with Yuuri for the final step. Yuuri assured him he would be fine on his own. A few hours later Phichit found himself being gently shaken awake. He looked up to see Yuuri, a little pale, standing over him. “Peach...”

That was enough said for him, and he threw back his covers and shoved his shoes on, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. He had had a feeling Yuuri's anxiety would spike as midnight grew closer.

Together the two carefully snuck out of the common room, managed to dodge all the ghosts, and crept out a secret tunnel Yuuri had found his fourth year that lead to the gardens. The storm was in full force, wind and rain whipping at them, and both were very regretful they hadn't thought to grab their jackets in their nervousness. “Can't you whip something up, Transfiguration Master?” Phichit called over the thunder.

Yuuri closed his eyes and concentrated, then with a swish of his wand and a mumbled incantation, a large umbrella appeared over them. “Better?” he asked, and Phichit nodded. “Okay. We have to be in a large, secure place. I think this is the best we could hope for.” The grounds were spacious and he interpreted secure as not getting caught. He pulled the vial out from his pants pocket and unwrapped the cloth. “Amato Animo Animato Animagus!” With that, he tipped his head back, drank the potion, and waited.

* * *

It took everything in Yuuri to force his feet to Professor Cialdini's office Thursday morning. The man was now seated behind his desk, arms crossed and looking at Yuuri with concern and – though he tried to hide it – disappointment. “You want to withdraw from tomorrow's tournament?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” said Yuuri, staring down at his hands in his lap.

“This is very short notice, Mr. Katsuki. Thunderbird House won't have time to find a replacement.”

“I understand.”

“But I _don't_ understand,” Cialdini said. “You've worked all year for this. You're the best our House has ever had! And you're the first student in decades to be an animagus.” He had written to the Ministry to draw up the documents needed for Yuuri's license already.

“It didn't work,” he said quietly.

Professor Cialdini blinked in surprise. “Pardon me?” he asked, worried he'd misheard.

“It didn't...work,” Yuuri said, finally glancing up from his twisting fingers. “I must have mixed the potion wrong. Or maybe it didn't get enough moonlight.”

The professor was very surprised by this. He knew potions wasn't Yuuri's strongest suit, but he still knew enough to pass the classes, he was far better at it than he gave himself credit for. And he was so particular with following instructions. Cialdini was certain Yuuri could have handled this project, despite its difficulty. “I'm very sorry to hear that,” he said, tone genuine. He knew how many weeks Yuuri had worked toward it. “But that doesn't mean you have to withdraw altogether. You know plenty of other spells.”

“None that would impress like that,” Yuuri said. “I know a few charms, but nothing the judge's haven't seen before. They're just dime-a-dozen party tricks.”

“ _Yuuri_.” The student glanced up. “You are my _best_ student. You outperform my seventh years! Why do you think I chose you to represent us and not one of the upperclassmen? You have what it takes to win, I know it.” When Yuuri hesitated, he continued with, “Our House would be proud just to have you enter. Whatever the outcome, you show them what Thunderbird's can do.”

“...Yes, sir.”

* * *

Friday evening came before Yuuri felt ready for it.

The Quidditch pitch had been altered to be almost unrecognizable. The grass was gone, replaced with a stilted stage, the height of which brought the platform to the same level as the stands. On one end of the oval stage was a panel of judges, and on the other, a small building currently housing the contestants. The four were to wait there, unable to see what the others performed so as not to steal their ideas last minute. Yuuri thought that made the waiting worse. He'd rather see what he was up against.

The tournament was a test of both skill and showmanship. The participants had three chances to show off their best spells, and were expected to entertain the audience as well. The flashier the better. Yuuri didn't really do flashy.

They'd drawn straws to see who went first, and to start things off was the Horned Serpent student. Yuuri thought her name was Anya. He tried to wish her luck, but he only managed to wave in her direction before she flipped her hair and spun around, stalking out the door confidently. The three waited, and after some cheering from her House for her arrival, a few minutes later they heard the _oooh's_ and _aaah's_ of the stands.

She returned after her three spells were completed, looking rather smug. She ignored the three other contestants and went and sat down on a stool in the corner, pulling out a two-way mirror and immediately chatting with one of her friends.

Next up was the Pukwudgie student, Emil Nekola. He seemed pretty nice, though Yuuri didn't know him well. He grinned and bid farewell to his competitors before making his way out to center stage. Yuuri noticed the cheers for him were quite a bit louder than Anya.

He really wished he knew what the others were doing. Was he just going to go out there and embarrass himself? What if his spells were nothing in comparison? He shouldn't have let Cialdini talk him into competing...

Before he knew it a beaming Emil was bouncing back inside, slapping the Wampus student on the back and saying, “Good luck, Isabella!” She grinned and marched out.

 _Don't panic_ , he told himself. _This is what you've spent all year working for._ He could hear the stands shouting for whatever Isabella had just done. _Don't listen_!

It seemed one moment he was focusing on drowning out the cheers of the crowd, and the next Emil was gently pushing him out the door, wishing him luck. Yuuri got his feet together and thankfully walked out to center stage without falling on his face in front of the whole school.

Were the Quidditch stands always this large? There were so many people here. Should he look at the judges or pretend they're not there?

Yuuri closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and raised his wand. _Three chances to make Thunderbird proud._

“ _Avis!”_ Yuuri had spent weeks perfecting the Bird-Conjuring Charm. His classmates usually managed a few feathers, but under Cialdini's mentoring Yuuri flourished, and a flock of beautiful orange birds shot from his wand. He flinched at the gun like blast that accompanied it, but focused mainly on the flight pattern of his creation. With the guidance of his wand, the flock flew over the stands, diving down around the wooden supports and then up through the goals. He twirled his wand and sent the birds into intricate loops and swerves, and when they reached the center of the field above him, he had them burst into dazzling fireworks.

Before the last of the lights faded Yuuri pointed his wand at the judges table and used the Switching Spell to change the order in which the judges were sitting. Though normally stone faced, two of the four were laughing as Yuuri played a game of musical chairs with them. After four or five relocations he let them be, turning the final spell onto himself. He'd only just gotten the hang of human transfiguration. _Please_ don't let him mess this up.

With a tap to his chest, he felt his bones creak and grow at a rapid speed. His shoulders and lower back ached incredibly for a few seconds, but he pushed through and focused on the spell. _You can do this. You can do this._

He didn't realize he'd closed his eyes until shocked gasps made him snap them open. The crowd stared in amazement at Yuuri, who was now sporting two sets of feathered wings that would normally be found on his House's namesake, the Thunderbird. He beat them once to create a clap of thunder, but didn't dare do anymore, as he feared it may lead to him accidentally taking flight, and wouldn't that be embarrassing, falling in front of the entire school. After a few more seconds of showcasing his work, he tapped his chest again and the wings curled back into his shoulders until they shrank out of sight.

It was incredibly silent. Yuuri looked at the stands nervously, having expected at least his own house to politely applaud him. Had he fallen so short compared to the others? Had a year of training been for nothing?

The stands suddenly erupted. Yuuri stumbled back in shock at the noise, and saw all four houses had jumped to their feet. He briefly wondered if he missed something, and perhaps they had just skipped his scoring altogether and went right to announcing the winner. He looked to the Thunderbird stands, seeking a familiar face for comfort, and saw Phichit in the first row, jumping and screaming what Yuuri assumed was his name. There were several rows of girls holding banners charmed to flash KATSUKI IS OUR KING.

Oh. Was this applause...for him?

He looked to the judges table to see them discussing amongst themselves before holding up their scores: 10, 9, 9, 10. Thunderbird House lost it again, screams almost deafening as their house won for the first time since 1926.

The official announcement was made a few minutes later, when all four tournament contestants were on stage and their scoring was repeated. Thunderbird, 38. Pukwudgie, 31. Wampus, 29. Horned Serpent, 27.

Fireworks burst overhead, and going by the professors expressions, they hadn't been planned. Yuuri stole a glance over to the stands and saw Phichit with his wand aimed at the sky, clearly calling out another _Periculum!_ before another burst was set off.

Yuuri hardly noticed the headmaster handing him the trophy, charmed with a gold thunderbird on top. Tradition was that the trophy would be decorated with the winning house's mascot for a full year, waiting for the next tournament to decide its new design.

When all the fanfare was over with Yuuri went into the makeshift waiting rooms at the end of the stage. Within minutes Phichit was running in. “Yuuri!” he shouted. “That was amazing! The whole crowd was blown away! I had no idea you could do all that!”

“I'm sure the others were just as talented,” he said. He couldn't help but ask, “What did they do?”

“Oh my god – nothing compared to you! That Anya chick pulled a rabbit out of a hat. I think she thought it would be funny, you know muggles think that's what magic is? What's one rabbit next to a whole flock of birds though! Isabella changed a goldfinch into a golden snitch, then conjured a broom to catch it. That was kinda cool, good transfiguration but the catching of the snitch isn't that impressive when you're the one controlling where it flies, you know? Then Emil changed his hair color and length, and everyone was like _whoa human transfiguration, that's amazing_ and Pukwudgie was all sure they'd won and then YOU GROW GODDAMN WINGS!” Phichit threw his arms around Yuuri's neck. “I can't believe you held out on me. I thought animagus stuff was the only human transfig stuff you were practicing.”

“...The wings were a last minute idea,” he admitted. “I'd been fooling around with it for a while, but I had really expected to be a licensed animagus by the tournament.” Phichit pulled back and gave Yuuri a small smile. He knew what it had meant to Yuuri to show off his hard work today with a complete animagus transformation.

“You did great,” he said. “The whole House is proud. Our first win in almost eighty years!”

“Thanks, Peach.” He looked down at the trophy in his hands. While it wasn't quite how he'd expected to win, he couldn't deny he felt immensely proud of himself for coming in first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ilvermorny does actually have a Transfiguration Tournament, however the only info I could find was 1- it exists and 2- Thunderbird won in 1926. I had to fill in the blanks for the rest. Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Also, I imagine Celestino grabbed Yuuri the first day of class this year and was like "We have 8 months to prepare!!" and the other professors realized after winter break "Oh hey, we should nominate someone soon. Anya, you can magick up a rabbit, right?" so Yuuri really blew away the competition :)


	8. Shall We Fly?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment Victor's been waiting for.

June 2010

After his talk with Yuuri, Victor had gone to his room and fallen into bed, exhausted just from trying to comprehend everything he'd just heard. It didn't help that he had been up late and rose early, running on only a few hours of sleep. He napped for an hour, then spent another hour staring at the ceiling.

Dragons had been intentionally hunted to near extinction. Dozens, maybe even hundreds of people around the world knew about them and kept it from the average citizen. Kept it from _Victor_. When he closed his eyes he could imagine what life would have been like if he'd grown up with the knowledge of the magical creatures. Maybe he would have seen one by now. Would they have brought one for the upperclassmen to study at Durmstrang? Maybe not... But surely one of the Tri-Wizard Tournaments would have featured them at least once.

He felt cheated. Victor knew he should be grateful that he'd at least found out about them now, but all those years wasted wondering... It would have been better if dragons were just naturally good at evading wizards, but to know it wasn't their choice but hunters that kept them away...

There was a knock on his door, and he grunted in acknowledgment.

“Victor, can I come in?” called Yuuri.

He rolled over onto his side, facing the door. “Yes,” he called back.

Yuuri slowly peeked inside before entering all the way. “You slept through lunch. Mom made katsudon, are you hungry?” He held up a covered plate. Victor's mouth immediately began watering, depression be damned.

“Starving,” he said, and moved to sit up against the headboard. Yuuri slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Sorry to just disappear on you like that.”

“It's alright,” Yuuri assured him, setting the plate on the bedside table before moving to lean against the dresser on the other wall. “I had a similar reaction when Mari explained it to me. Except I was fifteen and much more dramatic. Teenagers, you know?”

Victor chuckled. “Do I ever.” Yuuri wasn't sure if Victor meant he himself had been a volatile youth or he knew one now, but either way he smiled at the little laugh he got out of Victor. The Russian reached to start working on lunch. At the first taste of katsudon he closed his eyes and hummed in bliss. “The only thing to make this day better.”

“I thought it might cheer you up.” Victor glanced up at Yuuri as he took another bite. “I noticed you seemed to like it when we had it earlier this week.”

“Like does not begin to cover it,” Victor said.

While Victor ate, Yuuri stood awkwardly to the side, twisting his fingers together. He'd not just come to deliver the man's lunch. He'd spent the last hour psyching himself up to finally bite the bullet and introduce Victor to the dragons. Not all of them, and not the underground home where most resided, but he would see at least one or two.

“Victor...” The Russian looked up, a few stray rice grains on his cheek from his enthusiastic eating. “I was thinking after dinner today... we could go see Vicchan.”

He almost choked on his current bite. “R-really?” he coughed, trying to talk and swallow at the same time. He knew from Yuuri's journals that Vicchan was the dragon he'd practically helped raise from an egg. “We can go today?” How he'd waited for this moment!

The bright smile was contagious, and Yuuri felt a little grin of his own spread over his lips. “Yeah. Once the dinner rush is over I'll stop by the banquet room. Which, by the way, you should probably pop into sooner rather than later. I think I have your cauldrons set ok, but you may want to check.”

Victor had completely forgotten he'd left Yuuri to deal with six bubbling brews. “Oh! Did you turn the heat down when the smoke turned black?”

“Yes. But you weren't very specific on what to turn it down to... I looked through your reference books and I think I figured out what you were making...” He'd only had the colors of smoke and scraps of ingredients on the table to go by. “Again, you probably want to check on them yourself...”

Victor shoved the last few bites of pork into his mouth, chewing around it ungracefully as he said, “Let's go see!” He hurried past, and to Yuuri's surprise Victor grabbed his hand to tow him along next door.

After a full inspection of each potion, Victor happily announced that each was perfect. “I knew I could trust you!” he beamed, and Yuuri muttered a teasing, “Yeah, that's why you just wanted me to fill and wrap before...”

While Victor had been in his room, Yuuri and Mari had filled a few vials of each potion in the room. Including the six new batches today, they had over two dozen varieties. “We set up a little stand at the reception counter,” Yuuri told him as Victor shuffled through the letters he'd received, counting how many bottles of each he should fill and wrap this time around. “I hope you don't mind. It has a few sample sizes of each potion you've made so far. We thought it would be helpful for guests who pop in without ordering ahead. Mari can sell them at the counter for you, we just need to know your pricing.”

“How lovely!” Victor gushed. “That's a great idea! And it will be so helpful not to have to stop working on something every time a witch wants a simple love potion.” It was getting tedious having his groove interrupted so often. “I'll write a list of each potion and what I normally charge. Oh, and the different size bottles they each have. You're sure Mari won't mind playing cashier for me?”

Yuuri's ears turned a little pink. “Well. She thought maybe in exchange we could work out a commission of sorts?” Wow this was awkward. Yuuri _told_ her they should probably ask Victor about this before setting everything up. He couldn't really blame her though. The inn had been struggling for years, so of course she'd see dollar signs when an essential celebrity was living under their roof.

“Oh!” said Victor, eyes widening in surprise for a moment. Yuuri was just about to apologize for springing this on him when he said, “That's fair. Let me think about that tonight.” Who was he kidding? Tonight he'd be seeing a dragon! “Or, maybe tomorrow morning we could talk about it over breakfast?”

“Sure,” Yuuri agreed, relieved Victor wasn't irritated.

Victor turned back to his simmering Skele-Gro, grabbing a ladle and starting to fill a few bottles. “I hope that will make up for the craziness my presence has brought to your home. If you can take advantage of that article being published, by all means.”

 _You can take advantage of recent news._ Is this what Phichit meant? How was he always right?

“I was actually going to ask your mother if she would consider adding some of my stock to her stall,” Victor continued. He set the ladle down for a moment and picked up the wand he'd had a moment ago, frowned, and set it down. “Do you see my – ah, there it is,” and grasped for a light brown wand with a reddish tinge.

Yuuri still thought this man was incredibly odd with his multiple wands, but couldn't help asking, “Which wand is that?”

Victor stopped mid swish to beam and hold it up for Yuuri to see. “My alder wood wand. It's perfect for non-verbal spell work,” whence comes its reputation for being suitable only for the most advanced witches and wizards. While an unyielding wood, alder typically sought out owners who were helpful, considerate and most likeable. When happily placed it was a very loyal wand. “My mother made it for my last year at Durmstrang. It completed the entire charms N.E.W.T. without a single spoken word!”

Yuuri was too impressed that Victor passed a N.E.W.T. exam non-verbally to ask why he credited the wand for that incredible feat rather than himself. “Wow,” he said lamely, unable to come up with a more intelligent response.

Victor flicked his wand at one of the shelves on the far wall that had a variety of tools hanging from it, from measuring cups to knives to spatulas. Five ladles zoomed across the room to hover over the cauldrons beside him, and soon began ladling perfectly portioned out potions into bottles that he also charmed to float over. There was a nice little assembly line going as Yuuri took up his spot on the stool from earlier, labeling each bottle with its contents and wrapping it for delivery. It was almost kind of fun, especially when Victor requested, “Tell me more about Vicchan.”

As they worked Yuuri recounted tale after tale of his beloved dragon, from his first flight to the time he got turned around in the jungle and nearly burnt the whole thing down in his panic. He had Victor nearly crying with the story of the first week of Vicchan learning to control his fire ability, which also had almost lead to everything in sight being burnt down.

Yuuri was wiping at his own eyes, surprised at how hard he'd been laughing too. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed like this. “That's nothing compared to the weeks it took getting him comfortable with a rider,” Yuuri said, as if that was a natural issue that all dragon owners could relate to. He heard glass shatter and looked to see Victor staring at him with wide eyes, hand still held up like he was holding a vial, though it clearly was all over the floor.

“You _ride_ them?” he asked in disbelief. That had never occurred to Victor. They were wild animals, far too deadly to approach, never mind mount.

“Ah, Vicchan, yeah,” said Yuuri. “I would never _dream_ of even attempting it with Verndari.” He tried not to get too close, even after all these years. The dragon was fond of Yuuri but still very territorial and protective. “But Vicchan...” He shrugged. Vicchan was special. “We have that kind of bond.” The young dragon loved to run, and later fly, around his home when playing. Yuuri obviously had no hope of keeping up on foot. It had seemed the best solution.

Victor looked once again near tears. Yuuri wasn't sure if it was jealousy or amazement or just plain feeling overwhelmed. “Mari told me once that it's universally agreed upon that dragons can't be domesticated. For the most part, I agree,” he said. “Azura and Verndari were born wild, the only reason they're still with me is Vicchan. I try to respect the fact that they aren't pets. They don't want to play with me, they don't really want me to interfere in their life. We get along, don't get me wrong. I think they like me as much as a dragon can like a human. Azura even comes to greet me and lets me stroke her scales on occasion, but I have a long history with them. We went through a lot together. I would never in a million years approach a wild dragon and try to pet it.

"Vicchan...was born either the day I found him or the day before. It's hard to tell exactly. But I've always been in his life, and I've handled him from day one. Picking him up, playing with him, wrestling with him... He let's me get close. Azura and Verndari don't mind, but they're not personally interested. I would consider him pretty well domesticated. Mari couldn't believe it, but I don't think it's that surprising. If a dragon only knows you as a caring, loving part of their life, why would they think anything of it to be friendly with you?”

“Do you think wild dragons only attack humans because they attacked dragons first?” asked Victor.

“I think it's a little more complicated than that,” Yuuri said. “But I don't think that helped at all. We're small, we're a good size to be considered prey. They don't see us very often, and you fear the things you don't understand. Any time one _has_ seen a wizard, I'm willing to bet it ended with it being caught and transported far from home. So is the solution to leave them alone, and they'll like us when the generations who have been hurt by us are gone? Do we seek them out and try to befriend them now? Who knows,” Yuuri shrugged.

“All I know is that when we save one from a breeder, or collector, or poacher, the first few weeks they're on a rampage. They attack on sight, they're looking for any escape, any weakness to exploit, and it's because they're terrified. They've been taken from their home, usually wounded in the process, often left starving to be kept weak... But after a few weeks in the sanctuary, surrounded by dragons who have found peace here already, even the most aggressive settle into a routine. Are they all going to let you scratch under their chin? Absolutely not, you'll be charred in a second. But will they let you near enough to heal them? Yes. Feed them? Yes. You can see the change in their attitude, especially in their eyes. You can see relief, and gratitude, and honestly surprise, too. Their emotions are a lot more complex than books give them credit for. They aren't just bloodthirsty monsters.”

Victor looked totally enraptured. Under his stare, Yuuri continued. “Anyway, back to dragons not being impossible to domesticate. I want to be clear that that is not at all my goal. I want dragons to be out there living their life how they want. But when we interrupt egg sales, I don't always know where to release them. Some are so happy here, it's all they've known, they don't want to be released. The ones who grow up here from the day they hatched are entirely used to my entire family being around. Mom sneaks them treats when she thinks I'm not looking, Dad plays fetch with them, and Mari thinks I haven't caught her late night trips down to play with the babies, but she's wrong. They don't see wizards as a danger. And while I love that, I also worry about that. If we let them out, will they know to run from poachers?”

“Have all the ones you've helped hatch stayed with you?” asked Victor.

Yuuri shook his head. “No. We've set a few free, and they're doing alright. I check on them now and then, just to set my mind at ease. We normally have an adult female or two at any point, and they are pretty good sports about socializing the hatchlings, even if they didn't lay the egg themselves. I'm not sure if they had an egg and were separated from it, so this is a substitute, or if dragons naturally help raise each others young. I wish I could ask them. But once the hatchling is a juvenile, around two or so, we find a home that appeals to both the female and young one and set them loose. Usually they stick together, but once or twice they went their separate ways.”

“How do you know what kind of climate appeals to them?” asked Victor.

“Ah. That is for another day,” Yuuri said, feeling he'd given away quite enough for now.

“Yuuuuri!” Victor whined, eager for more. “You can't stop now!” He had so many questions!

He glanced at the clock on the wall. Time had flown by so fast. “I really should go help mom prep for dinner.”

“You're killing me,” Victor pouted, but Yuuri just chuckled and shook his head.

“I'll come get you after dinner. Until then, work on those orders.” He hopped off the stool and headed for the door, leaving Victor to get back to work. Victor hurried to get as much done as he could so he could spend time with Vicchan tonight without worrying about orders.

* * *

The wait nearly killed Victor, but eventually Yuuri came and knocked on his door.

“Okay, this is how it's going to work,” Yuuri said, walking with Victor from the banquet room to the front yard. “I'm going to Apparate us both, you are not going to know the location, and you are not going to ask to know the location. You're only going to see Vicchan today, not all of the dragons. You may only get to _see_ him, I can't guarantee he'll let you close enough to touch.” Odds were good, but Yuuri couldn't promise that.

“Just seeing one is fine,” Victor assured him, trying hard not to bounce on his heels. He would happily accept any rules Yuuri set down without question in exchange for seeing a dragon.

“If Vicchan seems at all uncomfortable, we're coming straight back. Keep in mind it's been years since he's met a new human.” The dragon was familiar with the Katsuki's, Phichit and the original friends from the camping trip, but no one else had seen him. Yuuri had always imagined it would stay that way, but here they were. Victor nodded eagerly. Once out on the lawn, Yuuri held an arm out for Victor who looped his own around it. “Okay. Here we go.”

With a crack they Disapparated from the front yard and Apparated into the far back corner of the field behind the onsen. This far back the inn wasn't visible, and Victor had no reason to recognize anything. For all the man knew they were in another country. Yuuri privately wondered what his reaction would be if there ever came a day where he realized he'd been so close the whole time.

From where they stood they could see the empty field, the caves far on the other side, and the trees beside him. Victor's eyes were darting all around him but weren't finding anything. He jumped a bit when Yuuri whistled, then felt his heart nearly burst when a short roar sounded in return. He heard what sounded like wind, and guessed that the dragon had taken flight from somewhere nearby, powerful wings pushing it up to the sky. A moment later a large brown beast appeared above the tree tops, hovered a moment, then threw its wings out fully to glide over to them. “Wait here,” Yuuri said, and started walking a few yards away from Victor.

The dragon carefully came to a landing before Yuuri, rumbling happily as it bent down to sniff at him. Victor was trying hard not to hyperventilate. He was fairly certain he was already silently crying, but at least he could breathe.

The dragon was huge, though he hadn't expected any different. As it sat back on its haunches Yuuri's head barely came to its shoulder. “Hi Vicchan,” Yuuri cooed, reaching a hand up, and the dragon pressed its nose to his palm, leaning down soon after to press its forehead against Yuuri's chest, it's neck and head alone almost the whole length of the wizard. “Hi boy.” He stroked along Vicchan's jaw a few times, then patted him and leaned back. “I have a surprise for you.” The dragon rumbled and moved to sniff at Yuuri's pockets. “No no, not a snack. I'd be very sad if you ate him.”

Victor knew he was kidding, but couldn't help a shiver at the thought as Yuuri nudged the large head to turn and look at him. The dragon had been so excited to see Yuuri it hadn't paid much attention to the other figure, but it was now looking at him with wide, curious eyes. “H-hello,” said Victor, amazed he could get a word out at all.

The dragon shifted its massive body slowly until it was fully facing Victor, another grumbling sound rising from its throat as it stretched its long neck down to get a better look at him. Victor was frozen in awe, and honestly a natural amount of fear, as the creature looked him over. “Vicchan,” he barely heard Yuuri say. “This is our new friend Victor.”

At the name the dragon turned back to Yuuri expectantly. “Ah, no, not you, boy. This is another Victor.”

That snapped Victor out of his daze. “A-another Victor?” he asked.

Yuuri turned a little pink. “Yeah. Funny thing I forgot to mention before... Vicchan is actually a nickname for him.” The dragon bumped its head against Yuuri, seeking more attention. “Shh,” Yuuri scolded lightly, “Hold on.” Meeting Victor's eyes shyly he continued, “His full name actually Victor.”

And the tears were back, stronger than ever. “H-his name is V-Victor?” he asked, overwhelmed all over again.

“He – _stop_ ,” Yuuri laughed, pushing the dragon away again. “Sorry he's not used to having anything but my full attention. Isn't that right, Vicchan?” He was back to pressing against Yuuri's chest, huffing out a breath of annoyance at being ignored. “Big baby,” Yuuri sighed affectionately. He leaned back and put both hands on Vicchan's snout, making him keep eye contact. “This is our new friend Victor,” he said again. “You be nice to him, okay? He's been really excited to meet you.” He gave the snout a few pats then backed up, walking backwards a few paces until he was beside Victor.

Vicchan followed, looking curious, gaze going back and forth between the two wizards. Yuuri had never brought a new human before, and Vicchan was clearly trying to make sense of it. Yuuri thought about his friendship with Phichit, the affection and trust they shared, and tried to project those feelings to Vicchan. Victor was a little too new to spark that kind of feeling himself, but Vicchan seemed to pick up the friendship vibes Yuuri was sending and perked up. He let out a happy little burst of flame and brought his head down level with Victor's, hardly a foot away.

“Oh my god,” Victor barely whispered. This was the best moment of his life. Also probably the most terrifying, mixed with amazing, breathtaking, satisfying and beautiful moment of his life. Words could not describe this experience as he gazed at what he'd longed for for so long. Just as he wished he had the nerve to reach out and touch the dragon, to prove this was real and he wasn't dreaming, a rough tongue ran up his face. “Wha-?” Victor gasped.

“Sorry!” Yuuri apologized, pulling back on Vicchan's long neck. “It's an affectionate thing he does. Also you probably taste salty.” You know, the tears.

Vicchan licked him again but Victor didn't have it in him to mind. “As long as he doesn't want a bite to go with that lick,” Victor laughed somewhat nervously.

“Hey, Vicchan, settle down,” Yuuri said, tugging him back before he could lick Victor a third time. “Settle down. Good boy. Can Victor say hello?” There was another rumble, and Victor noticed that behind the enormous body its tail was flicking happily back and forth. “Okay. Victor, come over by my side here. Yeah. Okay, go slow, but you can pat his neck. He likes right here,” Yuuri showed, and Victor made sure to mimic the action, gasping when his fingers touched the scales. “They're very thick, so you need to use a bit of pressure.”

Victor gave a few firm pats to the dragons neck, certain he was about to short circuit. Afterward he simply kept his hand on the dragon, feeling it gently move as it breathed. Too many emotions were flaring up for him to get anything out, so he silently stood and admired the dragon until it appeared to get restless. Vicchan pulled away and took a few steps back before he dropped onto one of his sides, the ground shaking from such a weight. Victor wondered if perhaps the dragon was preparing to nap, when it rolled further onto its back, looking expectantly at Yuuri.

“Vicchan,” Yuuri groaned. “Can't you pretend to be a proper dragon for just a few minutes?” Victor was still confused, so Yuuri said with mild embarrassment, “We had a family dog when I was a kid. I just naturally mimicked what I did with the dog when Vicchan was younger, and...I don't think he realizes dragons don't normally want belly rubs.”

Victor's heart was about to burst at the idea, and even more so as Yuuri gave in with a quiet, “Alright...” The dark haired wizard approached the dragon and carefully stepped on one of it's legs, pushing off to scramble up his large side. With some effort Yuuri hauled himself onto the giant stomach, and even with both legs straddling the dragon he didn't come close to reaching either side of his torso. He leaned forward to give the requested rubs, and Vicchan let out a few happy bursts of flame. “You're too big for this, Vicchan,” Yuuri said, knowing full well he had no intention of ever denying the request.

After a few minutes Yuuri slid down the dragon's side. “Victor, come back over here,” he said, and motioned for Victor to join him. “Vicchan, you stay, okay? Don't move.” The dragon yawned but otherwise didn't move from it's resting pose on its back.

“You probably won't get any other dragon to show you their underbelly anytime soon,” Yuuri said. “The scales are the thinnest there, so they're typically very protective. Here, feel right here,” he said, and patted the light beige scales that stood out compared to the brown of the back and tail. “Feel the difference? I assume he can feel me rubbing more here than through the ones on his back, they're like armor, you know? Or maybe it's just habit.”

Victor was still very much appreciating the fact he was touching a dragon as Yuuri went into Creature Care Professor mode. “So these darker brown ones are impenetrable to most spells and curses. You have to use some pretty terrible stuff to get through them. That was a major thing Mari didn't enjoy, even at first when she thought they were helping the dragons by relocating them. The sleeping curses they used weren't designed to be malicious exactly, but they were very powerful to break through. When we moved the original trio, and really all the others, Mari used a gentler one. We found out it doesn't last nearly as long,” he said with a playful wince, “Learned that the hard way. But it doesn't physically hurt the dragon. The one the ministry uses is strong enough to actually dislodge scales to get to the flesh.”

Yuuri moved to point to a lighter brown patch of scales. “See these here? He got in a playful little scuffle with another dragon last year and they accidentally got a pretty good hit on him. The scales were really cracked and I think Azura picked them off, but I'm not sure. I found them on the ground a few days after their rough housing. I think her reasoning was get rid of the damaged ones to let a new one grow? If they were in the wild I'm not sure if she would have done that, because that left a vulnerable patch, but they all feel pretty safe here. So we kept an eye on it and they grew back in about six months or so. They're a slightly different color, but you almost can't even tell.”

Victor was certain he wouldn't retain half of this lesson, as his mind was still trying to compute _your hand is on a dragon_ , but he nodded all the same and was eager for Yuuri to continue. “Over here,” he said, moving further down the length of the dragon, “Is his wing.” He pushed on the scaly side, calling, “Roll over, Vicchan!” The dragon rumbled and moved to lay on its stomach, long neck turned to look over its shoulder at them as Yuuri pointed at the joint at which his wing connected to his shoulder. “Vicchan's wing is a lot like his parents. They all have wings that come from their shoulder blades. A few other breeds, which I'm sure you know from your books, have wings whose webbing is connected all along the length of their sides. A few don't have any distinction between front legs and wings, they're one and the same. I haven't really seen much of a difference in ability to fly or swim in the dragons with different wing types. I'd be interested in knowing if you've read anything about it.”

“I'll have to check my books,” Victor said, unable to recall anything at the moment.

Yuuri nodded. Unsure what else to talk about, he went back to his lecture. “He gets the fire breathing ability from his father, but his tail is more like his mother. Both of theirs are shorter than Verndari's, and seem to really help propel them when swimming underwater. Their wings are what give them most of their speed, but the tail definitely helps. If I could get Verndari in the water I could see if his works just as well, but he won't go anywhere near the lake unless Azura makes him. And even then, he'll just wade in up to his belly and stand there pretty pissed off. It's very entertaining to watch.”

Yuuri took a few steps back and motioned for Victor to follow, and Victor reluctantly removed his hand and went to stand by Yuuri. “Brace yourself,” he said, and before Victor could ask just what he was bracing himself against, Yuuri called, “Vicchan!” before doing an intricate whistle. Immediately the daydreaming dragon snapped to its feet and pushed off, his full wings beating a few times to lift him off the ground, creating a gust that almost knocked the wizards over. Yuuri whistled again and Vicchan rose higher, still hovering in place, awaiting instruction. With two short signals from Yuuri Vicchan took off to circle the large field, flying in lazy circles while he waited for the call to land.

“I know I said I try not to treat them like pets,” Yuuri said sheepishly. “But I was fifteen. I was going to see Vicchan as at least partially my pet, and I couldn't help but try to train him to do a few tricks.” They watched as Vicchan swooped and dove, clearly enjoying himself.

“That's remarkable,” Victor said, finally able to speak. “I think it really goes to show their intelligence. And your ability to communicate with them is incredible. I could never get my friend Christophe's cat to shake hands, but you can get a dragon to roll over?”

The tips of Yuuri's ears turned light pink at the praise. “It wasn't that hard.” They watched Vicchan play in the air a few more minutes before Yuuri called him back. After he landed Vicchan was showered in praise by them both, Victor feeling a little more empowered to reach out and pat him.

Yuuri grew quiet as a considering look crossed his features. “Hmm,” he hummed, and moved to face the dragon, pulling his snout down to look at him. Vicchan knew this meant he was serious. “Vicchan. Shall we fly?” An eager spark appeared in the dragons eyes, and he snorted a curl of smoke that Yuuri blew away. He turned the dragon's head gently to look at Victor. “Victor too?”

Vicchan didn't seem to grasp the question, simply snorting another curl of smoke and looking back at Yuuri, rumbling in excitement.

Victor was shocked. “Oh,” he gasped. “If he doesn't want to that's quite alright,” he hurried to say. This had been more than he imagined already.

Yuuri tapped a few times on Vicchan's snout to get his attention. “Shall we fly?” he asked again, and Vicchan rumbled again, adding in an impatient wiggle, tail flicking back and forth. “With Victor?” The wiggle turned into an excited shuffling of feet, and then Vicchan was kneeling on his left side, wing extended out of the way to let Yuuri climb up to his shoulders.

“Let me go first,” Yuuri said, motioning for Victor to wait and watch. He walked past the long neck and went to Vicchan's side. “One foot on his front leg,” Yuuri stepped up. “One foot where his wing meets shoulder. Then you just kinda...hop,” Yuuri said, grunting as he pushed up and landed on his belly, shuffling around to a sitting position on the back of the dragon. “It was much easier when he was smaller,” he said, aware it was less than graceful.

As much as Victor wanted to, he was a little hesitant. “You're sure he's okay with it?”

“He's been pretty accepting,” Yuuri said. “I wasn't really sure what he'd do when he saw you.” Victor was a little concerned by that. Had he been in any danger? “Vicchan, Victor's coming up. Okay?” He kicked his legs to emphasize that he was talking to the dragon. He felt a giddy feeling from the dragon, maybe pleasure at making a new friend and desire to show off a little. “He's fine,” Yuuri promised. “Just do what I did. One foot on the leg, one foot on the wing, jump up.”

Victor tentatively approached, half eager and half expecting Vicchan to turn and incinerate him. He placed steadying hands on Vicchan's side before stepping onto the creatures leg, then wing. With a deep breath he pushed off into a jump, scrambling up the scaly side to sit behind Yuuri. Astonishment was washing over him in waves once again.

“Okay, now wrap your arms around me,” Yuuri instructed.

Victor blushed. “Excuse me?” he asked.

“Do you want to fall off?” Yuuri asked, glancing over his shoulder. “Hang on to me.” Victor obediently wrapped his arms snugly around the other wizard. Yuuri, in turn, leaned forward to hug Vicchan's neck. “Grip with your legs. We'll go slow for your first flight. It takes some getting used to.” Yuuri could feel Victor nod in understanding.

“Alright. Vicchan,” he said, then whistled the call from before.

Vicchan pushed off the ground and Victor would never admit that he squealed in both surprise and delight. He could feel the powerful muscles beneath the scales, hear the mighty gusts the huge wings created, felt the wind as Vicchan flew slowly around the field. He clung to Yuuri, unused to the feeling of flight like this but still enjoying it. It was so different from a broom, but so similar too in some ways.

“Wow,” he breathed, hugging Yuuri tighter as Vicchan swooped in a sharp curve. “Amazing!”

Yuuri glanced over his shoulder again, not even annoyed that he could barely breath with Victor's tight grip. “Amazing,” he agreed. It never got old.

The three flew over the trees and field for almost an hour, Victor eventually loosening his death grip on Yuuri to a more comfortable embrace. Yuuri couldn't really complain, he remembered how he'd been with Vicchan in the beginning, arms and legs like a vice. Soon Yuuri whistled for Vicchan to land, and the great beast dropped with a heavy thud onto the grace, kneeling to allow to wizards to carefully slide down.

Though back on solid ground, Victor felt he was still on cloud nine. As he patted Vicchan in gratitude for not throwing him off, he turned to give Yuuri another watery smile. “Thank you.”

* * *

The following morning, after Yuuri helped with breakfast and Victor prepped ingredients, the two met around around 11:00am in the front yard. Yuuri Apparated them once again to the field where Vicchan was waiting.

“Mari's already fed him,” Yuuri said, digging around in his bag that he brought with him. “It's basically a full time job tending to 11 dragons. By the time she's fed them all breakfast it's time for lunch, then after that it's about time for dinner. She looks them all over too, in case they got a little too into their play fighting. Or sometimes they really do get mad at each other. Like you said, different breeds don't normally mix. We start them off by themselves, where they can see the other dragons but can't physically get to them. They naturally want to fight at first, but after seeing others socializing or peacefully ignoring each other, usually everybody follows suit and relaxes. Occasionally somebody pisses off a neighbor and they fight, but overall they get along.”

Yuuri pulled out two dead ferrets. “Vicchan!” he called, “Treat?” They heard an excited roar, and from the caves at the edge of the field came trotting out the brown dragon. Yuuri handed one ferret to Victor. “Here, you can give him one,” he said, then took a few steps forward. When Vicchan was before them, Yuuri called, “Catch!” and tossed the ferret. Vicchan snatched it out of the air and happily chomped a few time and swallowed, eyes zeroing in on the one in Victor's hand. Victor copied Yuuri, calling out a delighted, “Catch!” and tossing it the dragon's way. Vicchan expertly caught the second and swallowed it whole. He looked expectantly at the two wizards, waiting for more.

“That's it,” Yuuri said. “Save room for lunch.” Vicchan bent down, pressing his head to Yuuri's chest and rumbling a pitiful plead for more. “Nope. Not going to work today.” He scratched behind the dragon's large ear before gently pushing his head away. “We have to get back to work soon,” he said. “But we wanted to come see you real quick. Shall we fly?”

Instantly Vicchan was kneeling to allow them up, looking much more awake and focused than a moment ago.

“Do you always use that phrase?” asked Victor.

“Yeah. It started as a real question. Now it's just habit. Kind of like asking a dog if they want to go for a walk. They know the phrase and get excited.”

Yuuri climbed up first, then Victor. With a whistle Vicchan was up in the air, and the two flew around the trees for fifteen minutes before landing. It was much too short for Victor's liking, but knew the inn would need Yuuri's attention soon and he had a lot of potions to make.

They slid down the dragon's side, each patting him in thanks for the ride. “Go play,” Yuuri said, shooing Vicchan off, and Victor watched in fascination as a reptile larger than a house hopped away, heading for what appeared to be a hot spring.

“Does 'go play' always lead to him in the hot spring?” asked Victor.

“No. I'm not really sure what he thinks it means, to be honest. But he always goes off and does...something. So maybe it's become a goodbye of sorts?”

The two wizards went back to the onsen, and before they parted ways Yuuri promised to take Victor back after lunch.

They settled into a routine over the next few days. Yuuri took Victor to see Vicchan three times a day, the morning and early afternoon visits being rather short as they were squeezed in between meals and work, with a longer evening stay.

The fourth day Yuuri had asked Mari to bring a young silvery white dragon out to the field after dinner. Victor was mesmerized by her immediately. “Who's this?” he asked eagerly, detaching himself from Yuuri's arm as soon as they Apparated in the field.

“Careful,” Yuuri warned, snatching his elbow to stop him from getting too close. “Vicchan's one thing, but you need to be careful about approaching the other dragons.” Victor nodded and waited for instruction.

“This is Mångalen, or Moonstruck, if that's easier. She's a Swedish Short-Snout, so we wanted to give her a Swedish name. I don't know if she's ever actually been to Sweden though, we found her for sale in Brazil.” The silver dragon was still quite young, about as tall as Victor and looking at him curiously. ”She's been here a couple of months. I'd guess she's just over a year old. She can fly, but not very well. Azura has been working on it with her.” 

”Can I touch her?” asked Victor.

”Yes, but I would recommend approaching with a bribe,” Yuuri said, and dug in his bag for a ferret. He handed it to Victor, who in turn took a few steps closer to the new dragon and tossed it over to her. She quickly nabbed it and chomped away.

”Hello,” Victor said quietly, holding a hand out for her to sniff. Once she realized there were no more ferrets, she huffed and sat back on her haunches. ”You're a beautiful one, aren't you?” When she didn't seem at all concerned with his presence, Victor took that as a sign he was free to approach. He slowly gave her shoulder a few pats, looking over her shimmering icy scales. 

Victor knew from his obsessive reading that her coloring would help her hide in the scandanavian mountains. ”You want to be in the snow, don't you?” he asked. ”Brazil would be way too hot for a girl like you.”

Yuuri nodded. ”She does favor the colder areas,” he said, recalling how she rarely came down from the mountain Mari had charmed with a perpetual snowfall.

”Do you know why she's having trouble flying?” asked Victor.

”I think it's a combination of a few things. She had no dragon role model until she came here. She was hatched by a new collector who decided after a few months he didn't find her up to his standards, for whatever reason. He was reselling her when Mari got the heads up.”

Victor had been dying to ask this for ages. ”What exactly do you all do when you hear about these things?”

”Uhh,” said Yuuri, suddenly unable to look Victor in the eye.

”Yuuri,” he purred. ”You can tell me.”

”...We steal them,” he admitted. Bright red, he hastily added, ”But it's not technically a crime! You can't steal something that doesn't exist, right? I mean it's not like they can report it missing. There's no law against it.” He was grasping at straws, but Victor took pity on him and laughed.

”It's what they deserve,” Victor said. ”If they kidnap the poor things in the first place, I see no harm in stealing them back.”

Yuuri nodded. ”That's how we feel.” Moonstruck quickly grew bored with the wizards focus off of her and started to wander away. ”Sorry girl,” Yuuri said, pulling out another ferret to keep her interest. He tossed it for her and she caught it, choosing to still carry it off a few yards away to snack in peace. ”She's not overly found of humans,” Yuuri said as they watched her settle in the shade of a nearby tree to keep cool. ”Considering most of her short life humans kept her caged to gawk at, I can't really blame her. She's not mean at all, just not very interested in bonding with us. That's fine, though. It makes it easier to let them go if they aren't too attached to us. And I think she'll have a healthy suspicion of wizards she sees when she's home, and know to avoid them.”

”Do you know where home will be?” asked Victor.

”Well, like I said, she's a Swedish Short-Snout. Normally we don't know what we find, but she was actually labeled in the information the collector had. If possible I'd like to take her to Sweden. She needs to improve on her flying first,” Yuuri said. ”She can do okay in weather like this, but add in wind and rain and she's pretty shaky. She also can't do long distances. She tires easily, so we've been working on building up muscle. Azura and Grace, one of our other mature females, both are working with her on it. It's just hard because all three don't care for the same climate, so we can't have them together all day. The other young one we have, Opal, likes warm weather too. She and Moonstruck get along pretty well.”

”What breed is Opal?”

”I'm not sure,” Yuuri admitted. ”Maybe you'd be able to identify her with one of your books. She's beautiful. I mean they all are, but...she's stunning. Don't tell Azura but she's got some major competition.”

”I'd love to see her,” Victor grinned, not the least bit shy to admit he'd happily see them all. ”What does she look like?”

”We call her Opal because she's got these gorgeous iridescent scales. In the shade she looks white, kind of pearly, but in the sun she glistens.”

Victor's eyes were wide in excitement. ”I can already tell you what she is,” he said, very proud of the fact he's memorized his texts and is calm enough to recall it. ”She sounds like an Antipodean Opaleye. You gave her a very appropriate name,” said Victor. ”Those are generally considered to be the most beautiful of all dragons. She'd be a good choice as a peer to help Moonstruck, they're recorded as not being particularly aggressive and were the easiest to train. Back when wizards apparently attempted that anyway,” he said. ”Native to New Zealand though. So I see what you mean, she probably doesn't want to spend time in the snow.”

Yuuri shrugged. ”I rotate bringing Azura and Opal to the base of the mountain and bringing Moonstruck to the fields. They're good sports about it most days, but I wish I could find a friendly, wise, motherly dragon who preferred the ice and snow.”

”Mountain?” asked Victor, zeroing in on that. ”Which mountain?”

Yuuri opened his mouth, then laughed lightly with a playful frown. ”Nice try. No location details, remember?”

”But Yuuri,” Victor whined lightheartedly. ”Don't you trust me now?”

”More than I did a week ago,” Yuuri agreed. ”But still not enough to tell you where they are.”

Victor pouted, but he did acknowledge that he had agreed not to ask for specifics.

The two wizards chatted for over an hour about the different dragons Yuuri had found, Victor having fun attempting to figure out what each one must have been. Moonstruck had long since fallen asleep, and as they talked Victor kept an eye on her, drawn to her icy look. He couldn't help but think she'd do nicely in Russian winters, and wondered if his home had it's own dragons hiding about.

But he'd  _looked._ For so long! 

”Yuuri,” he said, when their conversation had started to dwindle down. ”I asked you last week, but I was a bit frustrated when I said it, and we kind of got distracted with Mari's history with the ministry. But...how do you find all these dragons? Not the ones you rescue from breeders or collectors, but the wild ones. I've been looking for them my entire life and never found a clue to their whereabouts.”

Yuuri chewed his lip, considering how to answer. He was getting more comfortable with Victor every day, but the location of his dragon family and how he found them after releasing them into the wild was still a private matter. ”I can't tell you,” he said, then made himself look into the man's eyes. ”Not yet. But ask me again sometime. Okay?” 

Victor nodded. ”Okay,” he said, and readied himself to wonder for a little bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victor finally sees a dragon!! Sorry it took so long, but hopefully it was worth the wait! 
> 
> Next Week: Remember Phichit's vision - A New Arrival Changes Your Dynamic. Who could it be?? ;)


	9. A New Arrival Changes Your Dynamic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as Victor and Yuuri are getting into a comfortable routine together, Yuri arrives and shakes things up.

Mid June

Victor had been at Yu-Topia for almost three weeks now. Aside from his school days with Christophe, he couldn't think of a time he'd been as happy and content as he was now.

Potion brewing didn't feel as much like a chore when he allowed himself frequent breaks. At home he would work for hours straight to get it out of the way, resenting the fact he rarely got to enjoy the summer sun. Despite always telling himself he set his own hours, he never actually allowed himself time to relax during the day. Now, with his routine breaks with Yuuri, Victor was suddenly sunbathing with Vicchan on a Tuesday morning or lounging beside a hot spring Friday afternoons, watching Azura relax in her private pool.

And _Yuuri_. Victor would freely admit to himself that he enjoyed spending time with the other wizard just as much as the dragons. Yuuri had been a little standoffish in the beginning, which Victor now found completely understandable. After only a few weeks with the dragons Victor understood the powerful compulsion to protect them. They were beautiful, intelligent creatures who didn't deserve to be bought and sold as trophies. His reaction to Victor demanding access to them had been entirely reasonable.

 _Yuuri is also beautiful and intelligent_ , Victor's mind supplied. The Russian looked up from the dirigible plums he'd been cutting, glancing over at Yuuri who was perched on his usual stool, labeling and wrapping Victor's shipments for the day.

Requests for potions hadn't slowed much, despite Victor having been positive that first day was just initial excitement that would fade. The little shelf at the reception counter had been swapped out for a full bookshelf, and Victor was starting to feel a little guilty Mari was almost constantly stationed at the counter serving his customers.

Despite the coinciding spike in business for the onsen and the increase in workload for him, Yuuri still dropped by after dinner to help Victor wrap up for the day. Sometimes he came early enough to assist Victor with finishing a brew, and he was starting to suspect Yuuri wasn't at all as terrible with brewing as he claimed and simply lacked confidence when it came to potions.

“You're awfully quiet tonight,” came Yuuri's voice.

Victor blinked, realizing he'd been staring at Yuuri and the man was now looking back at him, eyebrow raised in question. “Just thinking,” he said, and went back to cutting his plums.

“About what dragon you'll see when we're done?” asked Yuuri.

“Yes,” he said, as that was always on his mind. “But also how nice it is to have your help every day.”

Yuuri turned a little pink and swiveled around to get back to labeling packages. “It's no big deal,” he mumbled. “I know how eager you are to get to the field every night.” He just handled the easy things for Victor.

“Still, you don't have to. So I really appreciate it.” He finished the plum he was on, then picked up his wand, waving it over the pieces and directing them into a nearby container to save for tomorrow. “I'm all prepped for the morning,” he announced.

“I have three left,” Yuuri said, scribbling a little faster on his current package. Victor came to stand by his side, picking up a box to work on himself.

He could get used to Yuuri's constant presence. He _had_ gotten used to it, honestly. From the day he arrived and set up shop in the banquet room, Yuuri popped in at least once a day. Victor hadn't thought anything of it, but now marveled how he would have expected himself to feel smothered with such sudden company.

Victor had enjoyed his solitude in Russia, at least to some degree. He enjoyed not being bombarded with press whenever he had a new item, or being mobbed by giggling witches whenever he was in his storefront. It was so taxing to be smiling and talking and acting so sociable in St. Petersburg. After a few years he didn't want such draining interaction with people, and fled to his current sleepy little town to be by himself.

But maybe he just hadn't been interacting with the _right_ people. Now, surrounded daily by the Katsuki's, Victor felt the exact opposite of drained. He was up bright and early for breakfast with the family, devouring anything Hiroko put in front him. Toshiya brought him his daily mail and newspaper, charming it to appear in Russian for Victor to read and taking a few minutes to explain any interesting local news Victor might not understand without context. Mari manned his new impromptu storefront in the inn's lobby, keeping meticulous notes on what sold and what was most popular, and of course keeping track of their ever increasing commissions.

Last week Yuuri had offered to take over caring for the dragons for Mari to be more present at the onsen. The summer months off from school were his main time to be with the dragons, and Mari often looked forward to his winter and summer breaks home to have a slight reprieve from the sanctuary. She loved it, but it was a lot of work.

To assist with the increase in guests, Hiroko hired the son of a family friend, a teenager named Minami Kenjirou. Unable to be still or quiet, Minami was often seen racing from one end of the inn to other, helping anyone who asked.

“Done,” Yuuri said, setting the last parcel on the stack due to go out first thing in the morning. “You ready?” Victor nodded, and Yuuri stood before holding his hand out for Victor. Maybe Victor had spent too much time around the dirigible plums tonight, which guided the thoughts of those near it and enhanced their ability to accept the extraordinary, but as he took Yuuri's hand he realized the extraordinary thing wasn't his own easy acceptance of being social again. It was being accepted so easily by this family.

* * *

This evening had been a peaceful one. Rather than the energetic Vicchan, Yuuri had once again brought out Moonstruck. After a snack or two she left the wizards to go nap by the trees, and the wizards followed, leaning against the trunks of two close trees and chatting until dark. Victor was a little embarrassed to admit that he sometimes lost track of what Yuuri was saying, only half paying attention, eyes drifting to the dragon often. Something as simple as watching her sleep was still so novel he couldn't help but get distracted. Yuuri didn't seem to mind.

“I think I should get her home,” Yuuri finally said, stretching before getting to his feet. Even though they were merely above the underground home, he let Victor think it was a bit more of a feat than that. “I'll take you back to the onsen first.” Victor stood as well. “I'm sorry she wasn't very interactive tonight.”

“That's fine,” Victor assured him. “She doesn't owe me anything. I'm content just observing.” His smile grew a little as he added, “It was nice just talking with you.”

“Oh, you mean you did hear me talking at you, after all?” Yuuri chuckled, watching the bridge of Victor's nose turn pink.

“I didn't mean to zone out!” he said as he began to apologize, but Yuuri laughed again.

“It's okay, I'm just kidding,” he said. “I know you're here for the dragons, not me.”

Something about that statement didn't settle right with Victor. “Yuuri-”

“Ready to go?” asked Yuuri over him, holding out his hand. Victor took his hand and they Apparated to the inn's front yard. Yuuri pulled his hand from Victor's. “I'll go get Moonstruck situated. Have a good night.”

“Wait,” Victor said, grabbing his elbow quickly in hopes of catching him before he left. Yuuri almost took him back the field, but managed to stay put, looking at the Russian with surprise. “I'm sorry if me getting distracted gave off the impression I wasn't enjoying our conversation. I truly was. I always enjoy our time together.”

“It's really okay,” Yuuri said again. “I'd rather look at a dragon than me too.”

Victor frowned. “Yuuri, that's not what I'm saying. I mean-”

The two jumped at the sound of the front door flying open, slamming into the wall. “There you are, old man!” They turned to see a tiny blonde teenager glaring at them from the doorway. “I've been looking for you!” He started stomping toward them, and Yuuri looked to Victor in confusion.

“Do you know him?” he asked.

“Of course he knows me!” spat the blonde.

Mari popped in beside Yuuri with a crack. “Thank god your back,” she grumbled. “I've been babysitting for an hour. He arrived via floo powder right after you two left.”

“I'm thirteen!” snapped the new arrival. “I don't need a babysitter.” He finally reached Victor, poking him in the chest as he spoke. “Victor. What the hell are you doing in Japan?”

Victor almost answered honestly, catching himself and switching to, “Vacationing!” just in time.

The teen's jaw dropped. “Vacationing? What do you mean vacationing? You were supposed to be mentoring me!”

Victor blinked, dumbstruck for a moment. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “In all the excitement I completely forgot!” The scale and finding Yuuri and living with the Katsuki's and all the owl orders and... “Woops! I'm sorry, Yuri.”

Yuuri looked even more confused at the apology he didn't think he was owed, before realizing Victor still wasn't addressing him. “Victor, who is this?” he asked.

Victor turned to the Katsuki siblings. “This is Yuri Plisetsky. He's a student at Durmstrang. His grandfather is friends with my old Head of House Yakov Feltsman. They asked if I would allow Yuri to spend the summer with me, for an internship of sorts. It completely slipped my mind.”

“For a genius you sure are an idiot,” Yuri grouched. “Yakov dropped me off at your place the first of June only to find it was closed! He's been trying to reach you for two weeks! Didn't you get his owls?”

Victor thought of the stack of letters he'd yet to go through, and how he'd assumed they were all potion orders. “...No.”

“Ugh!” Yuri grumbled. “I told Yakov it was pointless writing to you. I knew I'd have to come in person to drag you back. Now come on, pack your stuff and let's go!”

“Go?” asked Yuuri and Victor together, glancing at each other. Yuuri looked anxious and Victor just felt annoyed. “I'm not going anywhere, Yura,” he said firmly. “I've just settled in here. Business is better than it's been for months,” for both him and the Katsuki's. “I needed a refreshing change of pace. I haven't felt this inspired in ages! I may be on the brink of a new potion creation!”

Yuuri wasn't sure if Victor was serious and hadn't mentioned that to him yet or was just exaggerating as he came up with any reason to be here other than the dragons. Mari looked to him and he subtly shrugged.

Yuri crossed his arms, glaring up at Victor who was quite a bit taller than him, though he wasn't the least bit intimidated. “I don't want to be in your stupid shop any more than you want me there,” he said. “But Yakov and Grandpa said it's the only way they'll allow me to play Quidditch again next year. So you're coming home to Russia and teaching me how to make this crap!”

Mari frowned. “Wait, you're this upset over something you didn't even want to do in the first place?”

“Not all of us are stupid enough to turn down a spot on the Russian Quidditch team,” snapped Yuri. “When their scout comes to recruit me I'm not saying no, unlike this idiot. But Grandpa doesn't think it's smart to count on sports as a profession so he's making me suffer through summers with Victor and his potions.”

Yuuri was no expert on sports, but they'd been over this topic before. Victor was a brilliant Seeker back in his school days. “What if we compromise?” he said. “If you do well with the potions, Victor can also work with you on Quidditch?”

“Yuuri,” Victor pouted. “Don't volunteer my free time.” It was his dragon time!

“Ah – Sorry!” he said as Yuri declared, “Deal!”

* * *

The group was now in the family dining room, Yuri heartily eating a bowl of katsudon Hiroko had whipped up for him as Yuuri and Victor sat across from him.

“I'm sorry I volunteered you,” Yuuri said again quietly, eyeing Yuri to make sure he wasn't listening. “I just thought it might appease him a little, you know? Make learning potions a little more tolerable.”

Victor laughed softly. “You both make potions sound so terrible. It's really quite fun if you know what you're doing.”

Yuuri gave him a flat look. “But we don't know what we're doing,” he said. “So it's not fun.”

“Yuuri, you know a lot more than you give yourself credit for. And Yura does too. He's spent the last two summers in and out of my shop enough.” He too glanced over at the teen before continuing. “He's been obsessed with Quidditch ever since he had his first toy broomstick. This year his best friend Otabek was signed for the Kazakhstan team. Yura is determined to join him in the League now.”

“Wow,” said Yuuri. “Is his friend still in school, or...?”

“Yes, he's seventeen, in his final year. Playing for Durmstrang and studying was hard enough, I can't imagine being on a professional team while in school.”

Yuri didn't bother looking up from his meal to say, “That's because Beka's ten times the player you were.” Victor scoffed out a laugh but Yuuri nudged him before he could shoot back a scathing reply.

“So should I take that to mean you don't want a washed up old has-been's help?” Victor asked.

Yuri looked up from his katusdon with a hard expression. “No. You're going to train me on everything you remember. Assuming you have any Quidditch knowledge left in that dumb head of yours.”

“Okay,” Yuuri interrupted. “Insulting Victor is not going to help your case. How about this.” He pointed at the teen. “You spend the mornings with Victor in the shop, and in the afternoon you're responsible for customer sales in the lobby. If you do your work well Victor will help you with Quidditch training on the weekends.”

Yuri stared at him. “...Who even are you?” he demanded. “Why are you here with Victor?”

“I am Katsuki Yuuri, and this is my house.”

Oh. Well. That's awkward. “This still doesn't have anything to do with you.”

“ _Yura,”_ Victor warned. “Be polite.”

Yuri huffed but went back to eating, ignoring them again for now.

* * *

The following morning Yuri slouched into Victor's workroom at 8am. Victor had already been at work for an hour, and had a station ready for his new apprentice. “Do you remember everything from last summer?” asked Victor, setting a cauldron down on the work table before Yuri.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “I take potions classes you know. Your stuff isn't that hard to figure out.”

Victor smiled and ignored the attitude, pointing to the cutting board in front of him. “Please chop these porcupine quills to start with,” he said.

Yuri snorted. “What are you making, Hair-Raising Potion? Like you need to show off any more of that giant forehead of yours.”

Victor's grin slipped off. “Excuse me?” he glared. Yuri raised an eyebrow at him, silently staring him down. Victor shook it off and resumed his instructions. “You're going to be making an elixir to induce euphoria. Once you're done with these quills you can start on the shrivelfigs.”

As Yuri worked, Victor set up a few other brews. He kept an eye on the teen, adding wormwood to the list of ingredients to prepare, then sopophorous beans. About the time the cauldron had begun to boil Yuri had all of the dry ingredients prepped. “Alright,” Victor said, setting his wand down to come stand beside Yuri. “First, add the shrivelfig. Excellent. Now the porcupine quills. Good. Stir four times counter-clockwise. Ah – your _other counter-clockwise._ Good.”

As the potion simmered it changed colors, from turquoise to blue to yellow. “Let it simmer for a few minutes before you add the peppermint.”

“Peppermint?” asked Yuri. “We did this potion in class and we didn't use peppermint.”

“It counteracts the excessive singing and nose-tweaking side effects of the potion,” Victor said. “Came up with it myself!” He was quite proud of the fact he consistently improved or removed side effects from common potions. “Add the sopophorous beans once it's simmered enough to turn purple.”

They worked quietly for a while before Yuri broke the silence. “So what are you really doing in Japan?” he asked, weighing more beans for the second batch of potion.

Victor looked over to him. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“There's no way you just decided to go on vacation one day, and then also decided to stay here for the foreseeable future. I mean you closed your shop and everything. What's so great about Hasetsu?”

Victor kept his gaze studiously on the text he was referencing. “You haven't tried the onsen yet. The water is divine.”

“That's what you're going with? Hot water?”

“Hiroko is a magical cook,” he added. “Anything she makes is to die for.”

Yuri gave him a blank stare, not that Victor noticed, eyes still firmly avoiding the teen. “You can get great food in Russia.”

“It's a new place,” Victor said. “New inspiration. New sights. New people.”

“Uh huh,” he said. “By new people you mean that Yuuri Katsuki? What's so great about him?” Yuri asked. “How's he any different than anyone back home?”

Victor thought of Yuuri's dragons, and the relationships Yuuri had cultivated with them. The onsen and caves he'd created, the lengths to which he'd gone to rescue and rehome them. His passion and dedication to the creatures. Yuuri's firsthand knowledge of dragons was invaluable to Victor, but so was the time spent with Yuuri in his shop. Teaching Yuuri the correct way to stir a Sleeping Potion wasn't quite as exciting as flying with Vicchan, but Victor still wouldn't give up the time spent working together. Whether Yuuri was mid-lecture on the habits of dragons or watching wide-eyed as Victor whipped up a love potion, spending time with the other wizard was quickly becoming routine. “He's just...special,” Victor decided.

Yuri's face twisted in disgust. “Oh my god,” the teen gagged. “You came all this way for a crush?!”

Victor flushed. “I am an _adult_ ,” he said firmly. “Adults don't have _crushes_.”

Yuri put his hands on his hips, glaring at Victor from beneath his blonde bangs. “What do you call this then? You got this stupid happy grin on your face just now when you thought about him. You moved your shop halfway around the world to live in the man's _house_. When did you even meet him? How long have you known him?”

“Ah, well, I'd bumped into him when I came shopping in May, and I came back the next day to find him again. And then I just never left?”

Yuri's eyes bulged. “What?!” he cried. “You knew this man for less than 24 hours and you moved in with him?”

“I didn't really move in _with him_ ,” Victor protested. “It's an inn. I rent a room. Like a normal guest.”

“Nothing about this is normal, Victor!” he said. “Wait until Yakov and Grandpa hear about this.”

Victor bit his lip in worry. While no longer his student, he still maintained a good relationship with his old Head of House. Yakov's respect and good opinion of him meant more to him than he let on, and while it never really stopped Victor from running wild, Yakov's Disappointed Face did have the power to make him feel guilty. Yakov had frequently scolded Victor for being too prone to flights of fancy, chasing after pretty boys in favor of studying and showing up a half hour late to Quidditch practice with flushed cheeks and disheveled robes. Victor argued that as a genius he needn't waste time studying and as he had no match when it came to Quidditch he could be late once in a while. Yakov was not impressed.

As he'd gotten older and more invested in his career he had less and less time for dating. After he became a household name and Daily Prophet reporters hounded his every move, solitude was the goal rather than seeking out company. While it was what he wanted, or so he convinced himself, it was still lonely. Yakov, though, had seemed pleased that Victor was finally serious and focused, and that at least was something good that came out of isolation.

Victor really didn't want Yakov to believe he'd devolved back to his schoolboy days, abandoning everything he knew in Russia to start over in Japan all for a pretty face. Yet he couldn't exactly explain the real reason he'd dropped everything to come to Hasetsu either. He'd promised Yuuri he wouldn't tell a soul about the dragons.

“My reasons for coming here are private, Yura. It's none of Yakov's business, or _yours_ , for that matter.” He finally looked up to meet the boy's eyes. “Do you really believe I would put my life and career on hold and move to a new country all for a chance to work and flirt with a man I only knew for a few hours?”

Yuri thought it over for a minute. “...Yeah, that sounds like something you would do.”

Victor threw his hands in the air in exasperation. Unbelievable. Just as he was about to argue, he noticed the potion Yuri was working on had turned purple who knows how long ago and was on its way to being black, and it had passed simmering awhile ago and was about to boil over. “Oh – add the beans, add the beans,” he said hurriedly, waving his wand to turn the flames down to prevent a messy boiling over. Yuri added the sopophorous beans once it had calmed down. “It should be fine,” Victor said, not entirely sure but also not wanting to hurt Yuri's confidence. “Add the wormwood and stir six times counter-clockwise.”

Yuri did so, and after letting it simmer another few minutes, Victor instructing him to complete the potion by casting a Cheering Charm. Yuri did so, and the potion emitted a rainbow cloud of smoke, revealing a sunshine yellow liquid as it cleared.

Victor set his wand down and picked up a ladle. “It looks good,” he praised. He scooped up a little bit and took a quick taste. It was sweet, as one would expect from an elixir, but it was missing that distinct taste of peppermint. He glanced at Yuri's cutting board and saw the sprig still on the table. “Did you forget to add the peppermint?” he asked.

Yuri smirked. “Woops.” He had had a feeling Victor would taste test the potion.

Victor felt an odd combination of delighted horror. “Yuri!” he cried, though it sounded more like a laugh when it came from a beaming smile.

It was just his luck that Yuuri chose that moment to knock quietly before poking his head in. “Sorry to interrupt,” he started. “But breakfast will be over soon and we hadn't seen you two. Do you want anything?”

“ _Yuuuriiii!_ ” Victor sang. “ _How loooovely to seee youuuu! How are you this mooorniiing? Please don't mind the song.”_

Yuuri was frozen at the door, looking at Victor in bewilderment. “I'm fine... Are you fine?”

Victor visibly swallowed, looking hesitant to open his mouth again. “Yes,” he chanced, speaking quickly. “It's just that Yura didn't add the peppermint to the Euphoria and one side effect is excessive _siiiinging._ ” He clamped his mouth shut, cheeks turning pink as he sent a warm smile in Yuri's direction that was not reflected in his eyes.

“He only had a taste,” Yuri said. “It should wear off in a few minutes.”

Yuuri blinked in surprise again before succumbing to giggles. “Oh my god, that's hilarious,” he laughed. “I'm sorry Victor,” he added, knowing the other man probably wasn't as amused, despite the smile on his face. “At least you have a beautiful voice. If you were pitchy this would be awful.” A genuinely pleased look crossed the Russian's features. “Is it too late to add the peppermint?”

“...I'm not sure,” admitted Victor. “I've only ever added it while brewing, never once it was done.”

“Well, one way to find out,” Yuuri said. He came into the workroom and gently nudged Yuri out of the way, chopping the peppermint and dropping the pieces into the yellow potion. It gurgled a little and emitted another puff of rainbow smoke. He took the ladle from Victor and scooped up some for himself, taking a small taste.

Instantly he felt as if today would be a fantastic day. Life was beautiful, and what could be better than being with friends on such a gorgeous morning? “Wow,” he said. “That's amazing.” It was as if any weight on his shoulders had been lifted, leaving him feeling free and full of potential. Potential for what exactly was unclear, but he just knew in his bones that happiness was his for the taking. “I can see why this is such a good seller.”

“Yes, it's very _popular._ ”

Yuuri waited a moment, but didn't feel compelled to burst into song. “I think it's safe to say you can add peppermint at the end,” he said.

“ _As soon as I have the ability to be upset you are in for a lecture, Yuraa,”_ Victor sang.

Yuri rolled his eyes and starting making the second batch, promising to put peppermint in this time.

“Maybe eating something will help,” suggested Yuuri. “Come have some breakfast.” There wasn't anything that sounded as pleasant as just sitting and dining with Victor. “Mom won't mind if you sing. In fact, she'll probably love it.” He went to the door, holding it open for Victor who followed after him happily.

* * *

Victor's good mood lasted well into the afternoon. As usual Yuuri came to get him after lunch, and they Apparated into the field for a short visit with Vicchan.

“How did Yuri's first morning go?” asked Yuuri. “Aside from drugging you into a Broadway star.”

Victor scowled playfully. “I should have known better than to try it first,” he said. “But it was a perfectly executed potion. Not everyone has the singing side effect, but those who do,” he motioned to himself, “Find it quite inconvenient. That's why I experimented until I found a solution to that particular issue.”

“I kind of want to put a drop in my tea every morning,” Yuuri said as he flagged Vicchan down, who had been lazily flying circles over the field. “A small boost of happiness first thing in the morning sounds like a good way to start every day off right.”

Vicchan landed before them, rumbling happily in greeting and kneeling already, expecting their usual flight. Yuuri climbed up first, followed by Victor. “You can have one of the sample sizes,” Victor offered, wrapping his arms around Yuuri's waist. “It should last at least a month if you only do a few droplets per day.”

Yuuri kicked lightly to let Vicchan know they were ready to take off. “I think I might,” he said, leaning back into Victor and settling in for a comfortable ride. “And definitely only a few droplets. If just one sip lasts this long I can't imagine what a full bottle would do.” Though the contented feeling he was experiencing was rather nice.

“'This long?'” Victor repeated, sounding confused. “Yuuri...the potion effects would have worn off hours ago.”

“...Right,” Yuuri said. “I meant as long as they did.” He pulled forward slightly, Victor able to just make out that his ears were pink, and rather than leaning against Victor's chest Yuuri sat up, wrapping his arms around Vicchan's neck in the way he only did when the dragon picked up speed. “Vicchan, up!” he called, and rode the rest of the flight in silence.

* * *

When the duo returned they found Yuri talking to someone with a two-way mirror. From the sounds of it he was telling the wizard on the other side of the mirror about his musical prank on Victor.

“Yura,” Victor said loudly, announcing their presence. “Lunch break is over.”

Yuri scoffed. “Sorry Beka, gotta go. Good luck at practice today!” The teen stuffed the mirror into his robe's pocket and stood from the bench he'd been on. “Where'd you two disappear to?” he asked, looking accusingly at Victor in particular.

“None of your business,” Victor reminded him with a glare, while Yuuri innocently answered, “Lunch?”

“...Anyway,” Yuuri began, not sure why Yuri was so disbelieving that they'd just gone to eat on their break or why Victor would be so touchy about it. “Mari is waiting for you at the reception counter. She'll show you what to do.”

“I can't wait,” Yuri said sarcastically, pushing past them to go find Mari and get his shift over with.

With the young blonde gone, Yuuri started to leave as well, set to go check on the guest pools. “Oh...Victor?” he began.

“Yes, Yuuri?” asked Victor, wand in hand and instructing vials to fill themselves with the new batch of Euphoria.

“What are you doing here?”

The vials almost went crashing to the floor as Victor's head snapped to Yuuri, only his instincts kicking in and a non-verbal _Wingardium Leviosa_ prevented catastrophe. “W-what do you mean what am I doing here?” he asked. Did Yuuri mean in this room, in this inn, in Hasetsu as a whole? Had he outstayed his welcome? Did Yuuri somehow forget everything that happened in the last month, or was that not reason enough for Victor to be here anymore? His heart plummeted. Was Yuuri waiting for him to leave?

“If Yuri asks,” Yuuri clarified, alarmed at the panicked look in Victor's features. “What did you give him as a reason for you being here? You didn't tell him about the dragons, did you?”

“Of course not!” Victor assured him. “I would never!” Relief flooded through him at the thought that Yuuri wasn't about to ask him to leave.

“I didn't think so,” Yuuri said. “So...why does he think you're here? So we're all on the same page.”

“I...” Victor was absolutely not about to tell Yuuri that Yuri believes he's here on a mission to romance him. “I told him... I needed a break from Russia. The press had found me again. I wanted peace and quiet to work, so I'm taking an extended vacation. Christophe recommended the inn.”

Yuuri nodded. “Okay,” he said. He could go with that story. “And he believed it?” he asked, just to make sure.

 _He hopefully will when I tell him this later_ , Victor thought. “...Yes.”

“Good. That's good.” He resumed his walk to the door, heading out to check on the onsen.

* * *

The next morning Victor tried once again to explain to Yuri that he was not here in Hasetsu on some wild quest to win Yuuri's love. The teen seemed a little more open to believing Victor had fled Russia in an attempt to dodge the reporters once again, but still looked suspiciously at him when Victor's face lit up when explaining to Yuuri the many uses of gillyweed.

They fell into a new routine over the next few days. Victor worked with Yuri in the morning, often so focused on their tasks that they worked straight through to lunch, skipping the post-breakfast trip to Vicchan. Not only did Victor lose track of time with Yuri asking questions and nearly exploding a cauldron now and then, but he didn't haven't a good excuse to stop working for seemingly no reason at 10:00am just to take a lunch break shortly after. The first two days when Victor had announced he was taking a break Yuri had commented on his laziness, hardly two hours into working and already needing a rest.

Victor reasoned that three times a day had been a bit much anyway, and that after lunch and dinner was enough. But then Yuri started asking where he and Yuuri were going every night and Victor was running out of excuses. _I don't have to explain myself to him_ , Victor tried to tell himself. Still, it was awkward having to come up with something every night, and also reasons as to why Yuri couldn't tag along.

By the second week Yuri knew his way around Victor's workshop here almost as well as he did the one back at home. Victor had given him approval to work on a dozen potions unsupervised, so the teen worked on filling those orders and replenishing their stand in the lobby while Victor focused on the harder requests. In addition to selling potions, Mari had given him the rundown on basic check ins for the inn, and Yuri was able to cover short periods at the desk alone if Mari was needed elsewhere.

This evening, Victor was scrambling for a reason to leave Yuri behind once again. Yuuri wanted to bring Opal to the field with Moonstruck tonight and see if he and Victor together could help them work on Moonstruck's flying. Normally they were just playing with or observing dragons, but tonight Victor would be invited to help with training. He was thrilled!

“Ugh, you two are going out again?” Yuri asked. The entire family plus the two Russians were at the dinner table, Yuuri and Victor just rising and excusing themselves. “How many date nights do you need in one week?” Hiroko perked up, looking to her son with interest as Yuuri stumbled over the chair he was exiting.

“We're just going on a walk!” Yuuri insisted. “It's not a date, just a walk.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Whatever. It's Friday though, and isn't Victor supposed to help me with Quidditch on the weekends? That was our deal. Work is over, it's the weekend.”

“We can practice tomorrow, Yura,” Victor said. “I've got plans with Yuuri tonight.”

“But you spend every night with Yuuri,” he grouched, putting his hands on the table and pushing off to stand. “At least let me come with you and talk strategy or something. You've barely helped me with Quidditch so far.”

“No, Yura,” Victor said, trying to convey with his eyes how very not okay this was. “We will practice tomorrow.”

Yuri stared right back at him. “If it's not a date then I can come along.” Victor held his gaze for a few moments before huffing in irritation, grabbing Yuuri's hand and Disapparating them away. Yuri scoffed and fell back into his chair.

“Hmm,” hummed Hiroko pleasantly. “Must be a date after all then.” Mari shot her a confused look, as the Katsuki's all knew the wizards were going to the dragons, but Hiroko just smiled and went back to eating dinner.

* * *

Victor was partnered with Opal and Yuuri with Moonstruck. The wizards stood before the dragons, a bag of ferrets at each of their feet.

“Okay,” Yuuri said. “We want them to hover a few feet off the ground for five minutes, then rest for two. We're trying to build up Moonstruck's stamina little by little. They've done this a few times for three minutes on, one minute off, so we're going to see if she can do slightly longer stretches of time.” Opal was a decent flyer with plenty of muscle already established, so she was a good role model for Moonstruck. The two were also close in age and got along well. Yuuri wasn't sure if dragons had concepts like friends, but if they did he guessed they'd qualify.

“Listen to the whistle,” Yuuri told Victor, then turned to the dragons. “Opal,” he said, then whistled, and the dragon pushed off into the air. “Moonstruck,” and she too took flight, each beating their wings enough to keep them airborne but not enough to take to the sky. “You can do the whistle next time,” Yuuri offered. He glanced at his watch, noting when he should call for them to land.

“Do all the dragons respond to commands?” asked Victor.

“No,” said Yuuri. “I only try it with the young ones really. I'm sure with some work I could get the older dragons on board, but I'm not too worried about it. I try to heal them and get them home as quickly as possible, so by the time I got them to understand it's okay to let me tell them what to do they'd be on their way out. But with the young ones it's not too hard.”

They watched the dragons for another minute or so before instructing them to land. “Good job,” Yuuri praised, and they each tossed a dragon a ferret as a reward. After two minutes of rest Victor imitated Yuuri's whistle. It wasn't quite right, but the girls still pushed off into the air. “Good job,” Yuuri smiled.

“Thanks. Do I get a ferret?” asked Victor, laughing as Yuuri threw one at him with a grin. They continued for half an hour, then switched to having the dragons circle the field.

“We'll do two fifteen minute flights,” Yuuri said. “Moonstruck can handle that no problem in this weather, it's wind and rain she needs practice with, but any exercise is good for her.”

“I can magic up a little wind if you like,” Victor offered.

“Really?” asked Yuuri.

“Of course,” beamed Victor. “I'll start it slow to ease them into it.” He pulled a wand out and with a little swish and flick the air began to stir. Opal slowed when she noticed Moonstruck flapping her wings out of the rhythm they'd been in, surprised by the sudden gusts of wind. Opal barked at her lightly, nudging her a bit and trying to get her to calm down and resume their pace. Moonstruck quickly got back into the groove and trailed after Opal, calling out now and then for reassurance and always receiving a happy trill in return.

“They really are quite good friends,” Yuuri smiled, watching them soar. “I wish they could stay together, but I don't think Moonstruck would like the heat Opal does, and Opal isn't very fond of snow...”

“We'll think of something,” Victor assured him.

Yuuri glanced over at him with a light smile. “'We?'” he asked.

Victor hadn't even realized what he'd said. “You'll think of something,” he corrected. “They're your dragons. You know what you're doing. You'll find somewhere they can be happy together.”

Yuuri whistled for the dragons to come down for a few minutes of rest. Opal landed first, and as Victor tossed her a ferret Moonstruck flew low and snatched it out of the air, spinning in a flashy show of twirls before skidding to a landing and swallowing her prize. Opal pounced on her, rolling her a few times while dodging Moonstruck's blue flames.

“Girls!” Yuuri called. “Watch the fire!” At his voice both heads perked up, looking his way and then down to his feet where the ferrets lay. They scrambled to untangle themselves from their wrestling and dart back for another treat. “Whoa! Sit! Girls – sit!” he called, dancing around to avoid their excited bursts of flame and attempts to knock him over.

“Opal!” called Victor to distract her, tossing a ferret a few yards from Yuuri so she'd run for it. It worked, and he threw one in the opposite direction for Moonstruck who charged after it. When each had their prize they fell into the grass to snack and rest. Victor chuckled, watching them flick their tails at each other. “They really shouldn't be separated,” he said.

“Yeah,” agreed Yuuri, coming to stand next to Victor and nudging him a little. “We'll think of something.”

* * *

Finished with their training, Yuuri put a hand on each of the dragons neck, ready to transport them down to the sanctuary. “I better get these ladies home,” he said. “I'll meet you back in the inn?”

“Sure,” Victor agreed. “I'll be in my shop.”

Before Yuuri could Disapparate, Mari appeared between them. “Good, I caught you,” she said.

“Hey Mari,” Yuuri said with some confusion. “Everything alright?”

“Not really,” she said, and both wizards stood straighter, at attention. “That ring we got Opal from? They're at it again.”

Yuuri's face, which had been serene while watching the young dragons play, immediately darkened. “What did you hear?”

“What ring?” asked Victor, out of the loop. “What's going on?”

Yuuri turned to him. “About a year ago we heard about Opal being up for sale. It was strange because she was newly hatched. Usually it takes months for people to get bored of their new pets but she was put up for sale almost immediately. I assumed they were breeding for profit and selling hatchlings, but when we got there there were no adult dragons. It was very bizarre. Why bother going through the hassle it is to get a dragon only to turn around and get rid of it?”

“I've got the answer to that,” Mari said, drawing their attention to her. “She was the wrong color.”

“...What?” asked Yuuri. “She's iridescent. How can that be the wrong color? There's only one color...which is every color...it's iridescent.” She was a pearly white in the shade and almost a rainbow in the sun.

Victor gasped, and Yuuri turned to look at him. “I know what Mari means,” he said. “I have no first hand knowledge this is true, but...in a few of my books there is mention of an incredibly rare breed of dragon, a black Antipodean Opaleye. Black Opal's are so rare it's not even guaranteed they are real.” A mythical breed within a mythical species.

Mari nodded. “That same collector that sold her just put out a request for Opaleye eggs. Apparently he's on the hunt for a Black Opal, and is paying top dollar. I guess he didn't want our Opal because she was white.”

Yuuri was frowning more severely, stroking Opal's snout as he thought this over. “Well he's not getting any Opaleye, black or otherwise. How many people have responded?”

“According to my old colleague there are a few interested breeders. He's posing as one of them to learn where the new location is.” After Yuuri had broken in for Opal last year the man had quickly moved.

“Don't you go after the breeders too?” asked Victor.

“If we can,” Yuuri agreed. “We don't always learn who or where they are.” He looked back to Mari. “Let me get these two home. I'll meet you in the dining room. We can talk out the plan.”

“Let me help,” Victor said. “Please.”

Yuuri bit his lip. “...Let's talk about it,” he said, noncommittal. “Give me twenty minutes to get Moonstruck and Opal home and settled. I'll meet you both in the dining room.” With that, he Disapparated, leaving Mari to take Victor home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's trouble brewing! Victor and the Katsuki's must come up with a plan! 
> 
> Also, I wanted to let you all know that I have another story in the works! It will a pirate one, as I just love AUs so much! Please keep an eye out for it, I am hoping to have chapter one ready by Friday. Don't worry though, if I can't handle two at one time, my dragon story will get priority!


	10. Love Potions & Dragon Barrel Brandy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri is insistent that Victor keep his promise to help him with Quidditch practice. With all the planning they're doing for retrieving Opaleye eggs, Victor doesn't know how he's supposed to focus on something like sports. Yuuri starts considering what kind of relationship he has/wants with Victor.

Yuuri took his time with Opal and Moonstruck, walking them to the base of the mountain rather than Apparating right there. Opal usually followed Moonstruck up halfway before it was too cold for her liking, and sometimes the snowy dragon stayed lower if it meant having Opal around for the night.

This evening it seemed both were content to settle in a cave at the base of the mountain rather than make the trek up higher. Yuuri walked in with them, using his wand to light a small fire for light and warmth. “What do you think we should do, hmm?” he asked them. He wasn't surprised that he didn't get an answer, the two dragons going to curl up to sleep by the fire. Yuuri sat beside Opal, leaning against her shiny scaly body, petting her gently. “Your brothers and sisters are in trouble again,” he said quietly.

He didn't normally hesitate when it came to planning a dragon rescue, but he wasn't sure what to do this time because of Victor. The man had proven himself trustworthy, he hadn't tried to run off with any of the dragons he'd seen so far nor had he pushed Yuuri too much for information he wasn't willing to give. Victor had shown good self control when it came to respecting the fact Yuuri didn't want to reveal the location of the dragons yet.

The past month with Victor had flown by. Yuuri was amazed at how easily he'd adapted to the man's constant presence at the inn. Even more amazing was that Yuuri often found himself being the one seeking Victor out, popping into his shop whenever he had a free moment. It was unlike him to be so social, but something about Victor made being around him easy. It wasn't nerve wracking or tiring to keep up a conversation with him like it had been with so many people at Ilvermorny.

Yuuri let out a sigh. “What do you two think of Victor?” he asked. The dragons blinked sleepily at him, happy to have his attention on them but unaware of the question posed to them. Moonstruck huffed a small could of smoke at him. “What do I think of him?” Yuuri asked for her. “I don't know. I like having him around. It's definitely not boring around here anymore.” He hesitated. “Not that taking care of all of you was boring by any means,” he said, worried he'd offended two creatures who didn't even understand what he was saying. “But it's been nice having someone other than Mom, Dad and Mari around. They all love you as much as I do, but...Victor _gets it,_ in a way they don't? I don't know how to explain it.”

Yuuri's family had happily accepted the dragons from the beginning, all fawning over them and eager to help. Yuuri wasn't saying it had been a challenge to get his parents on board at all, but Victor's enthusiasm was different. A lifetime of longing, of searching, of such devotion to creatures he hadn't ever seen was unlike any of the Katsuki's experiences. Yuuri felt it matched his own passion for magical creatures that had lead him to studying Creature Care.

And watching Victor with the dragons... It was embarrassing to admit, but seeing the delight in Victor's features when Vicchan listened to him, Azura splashed him playfully with her tail from her pool, or Moonstruck put aside her nervousness with humans enough to let him pet her made Yuuri's insides feel warm and fuzzy. After years of keeping them a secret, he hadn't expected how happy he would feel sharing these experiences with someone else. Watching Victor learn their habits and personalities made it like new for Yuuri too, and the fact they all warmed to him so fast reaffirmed in Yuuri's mind that Victor was supposed to be here.

Yuuri realized that he himself had warmed up to Victor rather fast too. He was more comfortable with Victor after a month than a lot of friends he'd made over years at Ilvermorny. “Are we friends now?” he wondered out loud, still stroking Opal's scales. They had started as strangers, Yuuri very uninterested in letting the man anywhere near him for fear of his dragon family. With Hiroko's suggestions of giving him a chance, Yuuri supposed they'd transitioned from potential enemies to acquaintances. Victor immediately moving in helped speed the process along, that was for sure, with him becoming a constant presence. Now Yuuri had this celebrity guest nearby, and found himself in several bizarre situations of chasing off giggling teen witches while Victor hid in his workroom. The more he got to know him, the less he seemed like Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Recipient Victor Nikiforov and more like Victor, the silly wizard occupying the banquet room with his million wands and cauldrons. The forgetful wizard who forgot an entire agreement to mentor Yuri for the third year running after Yuuri dangled a scale in front of him and said he'd maybe allow Victor a chance to see the dragon it had come from.

He liked to think they qualified as friends now. Isn't that what you'd call a person you spend all your free time with? Yuuri looked forward to their daily trips to the dragon's together, and was admittedly a little disappointed they didn't do their after breakfast one anymore. He supposed he didn't really have time to stop working so often, but then, it wasn't like he was on the clock when tending to the dragons. There was no supervisor to answer to if he ate a leisurely picnic with Victor by the hot spring in the middle of the day. He knew Victor was mainly here for the dragons, but maybe Victor also had an interest in befriending Yuuri too?

The image of the two of them riding Vicchan popped into his head, Victor's arms wrapped snugly around Yuuri's waist, laughing in pure delight as Vicchan swooped through the air, squeezing a little tighter on the sharp turns. Yuuri felt his face heat up. Those were his favorite times with the other wizard, purely because Victor's joy of flying was contagious. “We're friends,” he concluded, patting Opal one final time before standing. “Just...just good friends.” He gave himself a moment to lose the color in his cheeks before bidding the dragons good night and Disapparating back to the inn, forgetting that he was supposed to have been spending this time coming up with a rescue plan for the Opaleye instead of daydreaming about a certain platinum blonde.

* * *

When Yuuri arrived back home he found Victor and Mari chatting over the dining room table. “Sorry I took so long,” Yuuri said. “What did I miss?”

“I was just getting Victor caught up on the last time we dealt with this particular collector,” Mari said. “And how it wasn't easy getting past all his protective enchantments.”

“I'm very good at disabling alarm charms!” Victor volunteered. “My Head of House never caught me out past curfew in school!”

Yuuri pulled out the chair beside Mari and plopped down into it. “Did you tell him about the three-headed dog?”

“It sounds darling!” enthused Victor. Three times as much dog to love!

“...It tried to eat us,” Yuuri said.

“Well aside from that,” Victor said. A dog's a dog. “And anyway Mari said you charmed a flute to play and keep it asleep, so he wasn't a threat for long, was he?” He was probably a good boy once you got to know him.

“I suppose not,” Yuuri said with a light laugh. “But there were plenty of other issues after the dog.”

“I know,” Victor said. “I understand it's no walk in the park. But that's all the more reason you should let me help. I'm a walking encyclopedia of spells, I can help with anything you need.”

Mari elbowed Yuuri lightly. “It probably wouldn't hurt to have him with us. One more wand, one more set of eyes...”

Yuuri nodded. “As long as you agree to follow our lead,” he said, and Victor was instantly nodding like mad.

“Absolutely,” he promised.

Yuuri turned to Mari. “So what all do you know?”

“Not much, unfortunately,” Mari said. “Charlie heard through the grapevine that Tausch was looking for more Opaleye eggs. His logic is hatch enough and one will be black eventually, I guess. Antipodean Opaleyes aren't exactly rare, in the context of dragons of course, but all the ones known in the wild or currently owned are white. They aren't ones breeders typically focus on. While very pretty, they don't have a lot of the qualities folks on the black market are looking for. They aren't naturally aggressive, so they aren't the first choice for guard animals. They aren't venomous so there's nothing to gain from their fangs for potions.”

“So this Tausch fellow just wants them to look at?” Victor asked.

“I guess so,” Mari said. “Dragons being kept for trophies isn't that unusual. But that's not why I mentioned breeders don't favor them. That's important to keep in mind because that means he won't have many people to get the eggs from.”

“So...in this dragon trade community your colleague is in...he can get word out to these people pretty easily?” asked Victor.

“Yes,” Mari said. “He knows how to reach people. The ministry keeps him undercover to keep tabs on poachers and breeders. Even if they don't arrest and prosecute like we would prefer, the ministry does try to keep them under some surveillance. Why do you ask?”

“Well... I was thinking... What if I offer to buy the Opaleye eggs?”

The Katsuki's stared at Victor in silence for a moment. “...Why?” asked Yuuri.

“To prevent Tausch from getting them,” Victor said. Obviously. “I could offer twice the price for the eggs to entice them to sell to me instead. Then when we meet to make the trade you interrupt and steal the eggs.”

Yuuri blinked dumbly. “That's...”

“Genius?” asked Victor. “Think about it! You'd have complete control over the location it went down at, the timing...everything. I can even act surprised in case word gets around before we can trick multiple breeders.”

“Victor Nikiforov getting robbed at a dragon egg sale certainly would get around...” Yuuri said. “Don't you think you're a little...high profile?” he asked. “You're famous, in case you've forgotten.”

“All the more reason this would make perfect sense!” he insisted. “Who are the people buying exotic animals on black markets? Crazy rich people. Also my interest in dragons isn't exactly a secret. I'd be the perfect candidate to try to buy a dragon egg if I heard about the opportunity.” He wouldn't put it past his old self to actually look into this if he had heard about it when Christophe came calling with another rumor.

Mari whispered, “By crazy rich people, does he mean he is very wealthy or both crazy and rich?”

“Shh,” hissed Yuuri. “Focus.”

“I really think it would work,” insisted Victor. “I know I'm new to this, but wouldn't setting up the meeting on our terms lessen the risk? If we make the breeders come to us for the sale we don't have to worry about potential traps being set. We can set the traps!”

“You _just_ agreed to follow our lead on this,” Yuuri said, and Victor deflated. After a second of thought, Yuuri continued with, “But...it's not a _bad_ idea...” Victor beamed and sat upright once more. “Let's talk about it...”

* * *

The three were up half the night discussing the ins and outs of different strategies. In the morning they informed Hiroko and Toshiya of the news and spent another hour hearing their thoughts on the matter. In the end they settled on a compromise with a two part plan. First, Charlie would circulate a rumor around the underground community that Victor was offering twice the average rate for Opaleye eggs. They would arrange a time and place to purchase the eggs, only for the Katsuki's to interrupt and steal the eggs, leaving the impression that both Victor and the breeder had been wronged. This would continue for as long as they could keep it going and people started suspecting that Victor was in on it. Then came part two. They knew they probably wouldn't convince every breeder to sell to them rather than Tausch. Whatever eggs are purchased by the original buyer will be stolen shortly after.

“When do we start?” asked Victor eagerly.

“This takes some time,” Yuuri said gently. “We can't just go out now. We don't know where they are.”

Victor was vibrating with energy despite the early hour. “But I can't just sit here knowing some poor mother dragon is about to have her babies taken from her,” he said.

“I know,” Yuuri said. “But we need more information. And a more detailed plan. Mari will reach out to Charlie and get things started. Until we hear back from him, unfortunately all we can do is sit and wait.”

Hiroko and Toshiya excused themselves to go see to the inn's guests, and Mari left for a cigarette break. Yuuri pushed back his chair to get to his feet. “I have to go feed the dragons,” he said. “What time does Yuri normally get up? Are you going to practice Quidditch this morning?”

Victor couldn't believe he was expected to focus on Quidditch right now. “I'm not sure when he'll be up. I suppose I'll go find something to work on in the shop until I see him.” He slowly rose as well. “Oh. Do you know of a good open place where we could fly around?” asked Victor. The inn's front yard was a little small, but it would work if that's all they had.

Yuuri almost suggested the field out back. It wouldn't be that hard to arrange, he would just have to make sure the three dragons that usually had free range of the field were down in the sanctuary so Yuri wouldn't see them. Azura, Verndari and Vicchan were the only dragons who lived in the caves, and therefore were the only ones frequently venturing between the field and the underground habitat without Yuuri's guidance. They were the unofficial guardians, making sure nothing unwelcome ventured in and no young dragons accidentally wandered out. Yuuri was certain if he added a few new fish to the lake Azura would happily spend an hour or two diving for them, and Verndari would sit beside on the grass and watch.

...Despite wanting to offer it, he couldn't quite get it out. He had spent so long letting Victor believe the dragons were far away and hidden he was a little anxious about what his response would be finding out he was just a short walk away the whole time.

He did have a backup plan though. “You remember Yuuko?” he asked.

* * *

Victor had never been to an indoor Quidditch arena before. “Your friends own this?” he asked excitedly as they walked up the front steps. “Why haven't we come here before now?”

Yuuri smiled sheepishly. “Well we never really had a need for it,” he pointed out. “Or the time.” He held the front door open for Victor and Yuri, then followed them in and lead them to the front counter. “Hi Yuuko.”

“Hi Yuuri,” she said, taking a moment to finish whatever she was writing before glancing up. “How are y- ooh!” she gasped, eyes going right to Victor. “Hello again, Mr. Nikiforov!”

“Hello!” he beamed. “It's lovely to see you again! I brought something for your girls!” Victor reached into his cloak's pockets, searching for the three small vials of a sweet pink elixir he'd specially labeled earlier. “Three 'love potions',” he winked. “As requested.”

“Oh!” laughed Yuuko, taking them from him with a wide smile. “My girls will love this. Thank you so much! I can't wait to tell them you're here.”

Yuri scoffed. “Can we check in now or what?” he asked, tired of the pleasantries.

Yuuko raised an eyebrow in question at him. “And who is this?” she asked.

“This is Yuri, a friend of Victor's,” Yuuri explained. “They were hoping to rent the arena for a few hours of practice. Do you have any time today?”

“Preferably right now,” added Yuri, and Victor gently nudged him to be quiet.

Yuuko checked the book in front of her. “You're in luck,” she said. “It's free in about ten minutes. I'll keep it private for two hours.” Victor took over when it came to negotiating payment for the arena time and a snitch rental, the wizards turning down her offer to rent them brooms as they'd brought their own. Soon she was walking them to two large double doors, pushing through and walking them under the stands to the edge of the field.

“Wow!” chirped Victor. If he hadn't known he was indoors he would have sworn he was at an outdoor field. The walls and ceilings were enchanted to show a scenic view of a rolling plain. “It's a full size field too!” he marveled, having expected a practice field. The building must have had several Undetectable Expanding Charms in place to house a professional size Quidditch field. “This is incredible! The detail is amazing!” It even smelled like a real grassy plain.

“It's okay,” shrugged Yuri, and Victor knew that if he wasn't complaining that meant he approved. “But why is this place called Ice Castle?”

Yuuko grinned and pulled out her wand, waving it gently toward one of the enchanted walls. From that spot the image rippled, moving quickly to expand to cover all the walls and ceiling. In place of the sunny plain was now a snowy scene, the smell of ice in the air though thankfully the temperature stayed comfortable. Off in the distance at one end of the field there appeared to be a castle, and even though Yuuri had been coming here for years and new it was an illusion, he still gripped his broom a little tighter. It always felt like if he just flew for it he could reach and explore the castle in no time. "It's one of our signature locations."

Victor was turning in circles, delighting in the arena entirely. “This looks like home!” he beamed. “Yakov used to make me practice over winter break. It was dreadful!” He was still beaming as he spoke, taking it all in. “What other scenes do you have?”

Yuuko charmed a few more examples, changing their setting to a desert, Hogwart's grounds, and one of Yuuri's personal favorites, underwater. “A seahorse!” Victor enthused, walking backwards as he strained his neck to look up, watching a few sharks swim overheard. “I could never focus on a game with this environment!”

“Yeah, so how about we just have grass, huh?” grouched Yuri, impressed but not willing to admit it. And anyway, they wasted enough time. “Grab your broom, old man.”

Yuuri turned back to Yuuko. “Thanks again,” he said, watching as she switched the scene back to the grassy plain. “Tell the girls I said hello.” Yuuko nodded and excused herself.

“Alright, Yura,” Victor said brightly. “Let's start with a few warm up exercises. Yuuri, could you hold the snitch for now? I don't want Yuri to get distracted.”

“Sure,” Yuuri nodded, hearing Yuri grumble quietly to himself about wasting time. Yuuri figured the teen wouldn't mind spending the entire time chasing the snitch. He took the box containing the snitch from Victor. “Just let me know when you're ready for me to release it,” he said. “I'll be in the stands.” He made for the stairs while Victor and Yuri stayed on the grass, getting settled on their brooms and chatting about their plans.

After about fifteen minutes of watching the Russians practice speed drills, Yuuri heard a small stampede coming up the stairs to his box. He turned and saw three identical little girls racing to him. “Yuuri!” they called in unison.

“Hi Axel, hi Lutz, hi Loop,” he laughed as they swarmed him for hugs. “How are you girls?”

“We're great!” said Loop. “We haven't seen you in ages!” whined Axel, and Lutz chimed in with, “Don't you play anymore?”

Yuuri laughed lightly, “I'm not very good at Quidditch,” he said. He'd never been on a team in school, the most practice with the game he had was when Michelle and Sara convinced him to help them try out new strategies. “I'm sure you'd rather play with your parents.” Both Yuuko and Takeshi had been brilliant players during their time at Mahoutokoro.

“You're great, Yuuri!” insisted Axel. “We love playing with you!”

He figured he would be good by six year old standards. “I'll come more often then,” he promised. He hadn't been here since Victor arrived and threw his schedule out of whack. “Victor and Yuri will be practicing every weekend.”

“Who's Yuri?” asked Loop while Lutz cried, “Victor's here?!” The other two zeroed in on that as well, rushing to the edge of the box to get a better look at who was flying around the arena. Victor was a black and silver blur as he darted around the field, but the triplets still burst into excited giggling and chattering. “He's the best potion brewer in the world!” “His hair is so pretty!” “Look how fast he can fly!”

Yuuri sat back in his chair, watching the girls excitedly take in everything on the field. He heard a slower set of footsteps coming up the stairs, and turned to see Yuuko.

“Sorry they ambushed you,” she said. “I told them you brought some friends and they took off.”

“It's alright,” Yuuri smiled as Yuuko took a seat next to him. “I'm happy to see them.”

“I still can't believe Victor Nikiforov is here in Hasetsu,” she said. “Again, I'm so sorry for my girls spilling the beans on that!”

Yuuri chuckled. “It's really okay,” he said. “It was crazy the first couple of days, and we're still really busy with people coming to try to get a glimpse of him, but it's manageable with Minami's help now. We really needed the boost in business, so it all worked out.” It had reignited interest in the onsen. Even if folks had no desire to see Victor and buy his potions the news got people talking about Yu-Topia, and there was an increase in guests coming just for the baths and food as well as his fans.

“So...” Yuuko started, trying too hard to sound casual. “What's he doing here?”

“Attempting to avoid reporters in Russia,” Yuuri said. “Now he has Japanese reporters looking for him, but at least they are a little less crazy.” They respected the Katsuki's request not to enter the onsen in pursuit of him, which meant Victor stayed inside the inn most of the time now, with the exception of the dragon field.

“That's all?” pressed Yuuko.

“Ah, well, he wanted a change of scenery too, I think.”

“That's all?” she repeated, looking closely at him, and Yuuri's cheeks tinted pink under her intense gaze.

“Y-yes?” he said, feeling a little uncomfortable under interrogation. “What else would there be?”

“Oh Yuuri!” she sighed, sitting back in her space and letting him breath. “He's a handsome man. Living in your home. You two clearly get along well. There's nothing...there?” she asked.

Yuuri's cheeks intensified to bright red. “No!” he squeaked. “He's just here for business.”

Yuuko looked disappointed, but was apparently determined there was more to uncover. “He can come for business but find other reasons to stay,” she said. “You haven't gotten the vibe he's interested?”

Yuuri had not been prepared for this conversation. “I don't know!” he spluttered. “He's nice, but he's nice to everyone. Yeah he spends most of his time with me, but that's because-” Yuuko's eyes brightened “-because...I'm the closest in age to him,” he said, and she looked disappointed again. “He has more in common with me than Mari or Mom and Dad.”

She changed tactics. “Well, are _you_ interested in him?” she asked.

“I-I dont know,” he repeated. “I mean he's...nice.”

“And gorgeous,” Yuuko added.

“He's friendly, and helpful, and really passionate about his work with potions.”

“His super successful and famous work with potions,” Yuuko corrected, not letting Yuuri downplay that part.

It backfired on her. “Exactly,” Yuuri said. “He's famous. Popular, confident and charming. The polar opposite of me.” Yuuko frowned but before she could point out Yuuri could be all those things too he continued. “He wouldn't have much interest in someone like me. He's...he's not here for me.” He was here for the dragons, and their budding friendship was enough of a pleasant surprise, he shouldn't get greedy.

Yuuko startled him when she took him by the shoulders, making him look her in the eyes. “Yuuri,” she said firmly. “Snap out of it.” He blinked at her in confusion. “You are a total catch. You're kind, and honest, and you always go out of your way to help anyone you can. You're smart – you teach at Ilvermorny for goodness sakes! Right after graduation! You must be the youngest professor they've ever had!”

“Actually-”

“Not my main point,” she said over him. “Everyone adores you. Phichit has told us countless stories of the hearts you stole at school.”

“What?” Yuuri asked. “I-I didn't date anyone at school!” What was Phichit telling people?!

“Because you never believed they liked you!” Yuuko said. “You are an amazing person, and anyone would be lucky to date you. Including Victor Nikiforov.”

“I...” He wasn't sure what to say, so he settled on a quiet, “Thanks, Yuuko.” She nodded once, then released her grip on his shoulders and turned back to the field.

“Yuuri!” Victor called from the field, drawing his eyes over to him. “Can you release the snitch now?” Yuuri fumbled with the latch before letting the golden ball out, watching it zip away. “Thank you! Now, Yura, before we start chasing it, remember....” His voice trailed off as he and Yuri flew further away, and Yuuri and Yuuko sat quietly, content to watch the practice, the triplets whispering furiously among themselves.

* * *

After the first hour of just him and Yuri, Victor convinced Yuuri and Yuuko to join them.

“What's the point?” Yuri grouched. “They'll just be in the way.”

“That's exactly the point,” Victor supplied happily. “Don't forget you'll have two teams on the field too. It's not just you and the snitch.” He turned to the new arrivals. “If you two could fly around and just generally try to get in our way, that would be fantastic.”

Yuuri could do that. “Sure.” He and Yuuko went to opposite sides of the field, then starting flying in circles, trailing after the Russians, cutting them off and being as distracting as possible. After ten minutes Yuri had enough.

“I need a break!” he spat, flying to the ground and stalking off toward the little table offering bottled water and other little snacks.

“He and I have been at it for a while,” Victor agreed when Yuuri and Yuuko flew to him. “Why don't we all grab a drink?” The three landed and joined Yuri, each grabbing a water.

Victor took a few sips from his before setting it on the table. “So, Yuuko, how long have you known Yuuri?” he asked.

“Forever, basically,” she beamed, and went on about how they'd grown up together with Takeshi, their parents friends with each other and always bringing the kids over to play while they visited. “I tried to get Yuuri into Quidditch but he was always too busy with his creatures.”

Yuri scoffed. “What could be better than Quidditch?”

“Yura,” Victor scolded lightly. “People have different interests.” If given the choice, Victor would have chosen dragons over Quidditch too, despite how good he was at the sport.

“Whatever,” Yuri said, then downed the rest of his water bottle. “Can we get back to practice now?” He tossed the bottle into the garbage before mounting his broom and kicking off.

“You're the one that wanted the break!” Victor called after him, laughing. He picked up his bottle and took another sip, immediately wrinkling his nose at the taste. It was way too sweet to be water. He pulled the bottle back and saw it had a somewhat foggy appearance now, with a little droplet of pink elixir on the side. He was confused until he heard giggling coming from beneath the table, and spotted one little foot sticking out from under the tablecloth. This tasted suspiciously like a watered down version of his sweet pink treat he'd delivered under the guise of a love potion. He grinned.

“Yuuri,” he called to the wizard who was just kicking off into the air. “Why didn't you mention before how _beautifully_ you fly?”

Yuuri was grateful he was only a few feet off the ground because he almost fell off his broom in surprise, the exact opposite of beautiful as he hung like a koala from the broomstick. “W-what?” he asked, feeling that came out of nowhere considering he'd only flown circles around the arena for ten minutes. He quickly righted himself, blushing.

“You're so graceful!” Victor said. “And here I thought I knew all your skills already. You never cease to surprise me! So talented!”

“Uh, thanks, Victor,” Yuuri said, zooming away before his face overheated and he really embarrassed himself.

Yuuko kicked off, looking rather pleased, while Victor forced down the rest of the sugar water. The tablecloth moved more obviously as the girls happily congratulated each other, whispering “It really works!” and giggling uncontrollably at their success.

Victor wasn't really sure _why_ they wanted to slip a love potion into his water, but if Yuuri was the intended target, he wasn't really complaining either.

* * *

It was a week before they heard back from Charlie. Posing as a breeder, he was spreading the word to others that he had a great offer for Opaleye eggs from a celebrity he'd 'tricked' into paying twice the going amount. Eager to cash in on a first time buyer who was apparently clueless as to what he should be paying, other breeders asked for more information. Charlie hemmed and hawed a little, saying he didn't know how many this Nikiforov fellow wanted and wouldn't want to lose out on a sale if he shared his info. Each time he 'gave in' if the breeder promised not to contact Victor with a better offer and steal the sale, which every one did every time, as they expected.

By the end of the following week Victor had three appointments set up to purchase one or two eggs at each. He was still in disbelief over how plentiful dragons apparently were once you were involved with folks who knew about it. He wished he could write Christophe and tell him about this.

Finally the time came for the first sale. Victor and the breeder known only as S. agreed to meet in Knockturn Alley at The White Wyvern, an appropriately named pub for such a meeting.

Victor, Yuuri and Mari were in Yu-Topia's dining room finishing up preparations. Victor checked and rechecked he had a few spare wands, enough galleons to make it appear he truly was intending to purchase the two eggs, and a few defensive items like Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder in the event he needed a distraction before a hasty getaway. “I think I'm ready,” he said.

“So are we,” came Hiroko's voice from the door, and Victor looked up in surprise to see both of Yuuri's parents. “Sorry we're late, dinner ran a little long.”

“You're coming too?” asked Victor, having somehow not grasped that when Yuuri and Mari had been saying 'we' all week in planning, they meant all four Katsuki's.

“Of course,” Toshiya said. “Wouldn't miss it.”

“It's, ah, kind of our second family business,” Yuuri said.

Victor _loved_ this family. _So much._ “That's wonderful! Oh but, who will watch the inn?”

“It's late enough that it shouldn't be too busy,” Hiroko said. “Minami can handle it on his own.”

“Let's get going!” Mari said, looking at the clock on the wall. “Victor has eight minutes to get to White Wyvern.” The group nodded. Hiroko and Toshiya clasped hands and Disapparated, followed by Mari, then Yuuri, then Victor.

When he appeared in Knockturn Alley, Victor was just down the way from the pub. He stepped to the side of the mostly deserted street and pretended to look into the window front of the closest shop. Unfortunately for him it was Noggin and Bonce, supplier of shrunken heads. Only able to feign interest for so long, he glanced away from the display over to the door of the pub. He saw Hiroko and Toshiya entering, chatting casually as they opened the door and disappeared inside. He gave them a minute to find a seat before slowly making his way over. He knew Mari and Yuuri were lurking somewhere nearby, waiting to enter after Victor so no one guessed they were together.

Victor saw a man fitting S.'s description sitting in the corner of the pub and made his way over. “Can I buy you a drink?” asked Victor.

“Tell you what,” the man said. “I'll buy _you_ one if you can guess my favorite brandy.”

Ready for the test to confirm they were speaking to the right people, Victor answered, “Dragon Barrel Brandy.”

The man's lip twitched into a half smile. “Have a seat, kid.” Victor did so, wondering absently when the last time he'd been referred to as a kid was. “So. Got the money?”

“Yes,” said Victor. “But I want to see them before I hand it over.” His fingers tapped anxiously on his pocket holding the galleons.

The man scoffed. “Ain't like I can just pull them out in public, eh?”

“No one's looking,” Victor said. “I need to know they're the real deal.”

“Hey. Trust me. They're real.”

“Then let me see them,” Victor challenged. The bell over the door chimed and Victor glanced over to see Mari stroll in, going to the bar and plopping down on a stool, not looking his way once.

S. huffed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Not here,” he said. “Let's go outside.”

Victor frowned. “That wasn't the agreement,” he said. “I asked for a low profile but still somewhat public place. I don't know you and I'm not comfortable going anywhere alone.”

The man scoffed. “Oh grow up. You're buying illegal contraband and you can't handle going into an alley all by yourself?”

“...Fine,” Victor agreed, seeming reluctant to give in but not any more eager to lose this opportunity. “Just out behind the pub.”

“Great. Follow me,” he said, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet, Victor following suit.

As they walked through the small pub, Victor touched the ruby broach he'd borrowed from Hiroko that was fastened to his black cloak. “No further than around back,” he said in reminder to man, knowing Yuuri's ruby pin would relay the message.

“ _Relax_ ,” the man sighed, amused yet irritated by Victor's apparent uneasiness. They exited the pub, S. walking out first while Victor took a moment to hold the door open for Toshiya who hurried out, mumbling a quiet “excuse me” before going left and disappearing around the corner. Victor and S. went right.

“This is far enough,” Victor said when they were behind the pub. “Let me see the eggs.”

“Alright, alright,” S. said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. “Engorgio,” he muttered, and set the box on the ground as it grew into the size of a trunk. He opened the lid and Victor peered in, heart beating fast at the sight of two stony grey eggs.

Victor realized he was not in the position to actually be able to tell if these were real. Assuming all was well, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch of gold galleons. His eyes flicked around the alley quickly, looking for a Katsuki, any Katsuki. “Here,” he said, handing it over. “It's all there.”

“I'm sure you won't be offended if I count it now,” S. smirked, shaking the coins into one hand.

“Hey, trust me,” Victor said, repeating the mans words. S. continued to count the coins until a loud crack sounded beside them.

“Stupefy!” came an unfamiliar female voice. Immediately S. froze, falling to the ground unconscious.

Victor dove behind a few nearby trash cans, a red spark flying over his head. Another crack signaled the arrival of another wizard, also a man Victor didn't recognize. He peeked over the bins to see the brunette witch dodge a green spark before sending a barrage of curses at the wizard. Victor his own Stupefy spell aimed at the witch, but right before he could cast it-

“Petrificus Totalus!” Victor could have _sworn_ that was Yuuri's voice, though why it was directed at _him_ was beyond him as he felt his joints lock up, leaving him stuck in his hiding place. The brunette witch hit the other wizard with a well cast “Locomotor Mortis,” causing his legs to lock long enough for her to add another “Stupefy.”

The only one left mobile in the alley now, the brunette witch bent down and picked up the scattered gold galleons, pocketing them quickly before going to the crate and closing and locking, shrinking it with a “Reducio” and pocketing that too.

Unable to speak, Victor's mind was a broken record of _Where are the Katsuki's?_

The witch brushed herself off before coming over to the bins before Victor and peering over at him with a surprisingly friendly smile. “You must be Victor,” she said, before raising her wand and releasing him with a “Finite Incantatem.” Victor gasped in a large breath, still too stunned to speak.

A few loud cracks were followed by the Katsuki's. Yuuri was at his side instantly. “Are you alright, Victor? I'm so sorry I petrified you!”

“That _was_ you?” asked Victor incredulously. “What just happened? Who is this?” he asked, motioning to the unknown witch. “Why did you stun me, Yuuri?!”

“This is Minako Okukawa,” Yuuri said, still hovering anxiously near Victor, making sure he was fine. “A family friend.” The witch smiled again and waved.

Mari added, “We wanted your surprise at being interrupted to look as legitimate as possible. That's why we didn't mention that she'd be the one to intervene.”

“...But why did you stun _me_?” he asked again weakly.

“Because you didn't know Minako was one of us,” Yuuri said. “I saw you aiming for her and there was no way to tell you not to without those two overhearing.” He nodded toward the two wizards unconscious on the alley floor. “When they wake up at least one of them will have seen you get petrified too. They shouldn't suspect that you had anything to do with it.”

“A _little_ warning would have been nice,” Victor said.

Yuuri looked sheepish. “I'm sorry. But you did very well for your first time!”

Victor's expression brightened. “Did I?” he asked.

Hiroko patted his shoulder. “You were perfect,” she praised, and Victor's smile turned to a full on beam.

“Maybe hesitate a little more before agreeing to go outside with them,” Mari said, the only one willing to offer something other than straight praise. “If you didn't know you had us watching, you'd probably put up a bit more of a fight.”

“Okay,” Victor nodded. “I'll remember that.” He looked down at the two wizards. “So he really planned to get me out here and have his friend attack me, huh? I'd feel betrayed if we hadn't done the exact same thing. Does this always happen?”

“It's about fifty-fifty,” Yuuri said. “They have to do some legitimate deals or no one would ever agree to them again.” Satisfied he hadn't hurt Victor at all, he stepped away to go to Minako. “Can I have the eggs?” he asked. “I'll take them to the sanctuary. I have Azura waiting to tend to them.”

“Not Opal?” asked Victor, surprised the other Opaleye hadn't been chosen.

“Opal is a little young,” Yuuri said. “She's still learning how to be a dragon herself after being born in captivity. She can watch Azura, but I want a more mature dragon with them to be safe.” Minako took the shrunken chest from her pocket and handed it to Yuuri. “Mari?” he asked, reaching a hand out to his sister, who readily gripped it. “We'll meet you all back at the house.” With a crack they gone.

Victor felt horribly jealous that he wasn't invited along as well, but kept it to himself as the last two Katsuki's and Minako prepared to go home.

"I'll take care of these two first,” Minako offered. “You three go ahead.” With that, Victor, Hiroko and Toshiya Disapparated back to Yu-Topia.

* * *

All things considered, the first run through had gone rather well. Aside from preventing Victor from cursing Minako, the Katsuki's hadn't needed to come out of hiding and use any drastic measures to keep Victor and the eggs safe. After the surprise of Minako and the second wizard appearing wore of, Victor was almost disappointed in how easy it had gone.

The next two went similarly well, with the second meeting being nothing more than a simple exchange of gold for eggs. While Victor went off in one direction, Mari tailed the man in the opposite direction, waiting for an opportune moment for her part of the plan. She watched and waited until her brother appeared suddenly around one corner, stepping right into the man's path and colliding, sending both of them to the ground.

“I'm so sorry!” Yuuri said. “Are you alright?” The man grumbled and slowly got to his feet, brushing himself off.

“Watch where you're going, eh?” he said, and without another word stalked off further down the street.

Yuuri watched him go, then turned to see a small bump in his robes moving about, then laughed when he felt little claws reach his leg and lightly climb over it. He reached over and pulled his robe back, and a little black niffler blinked at the sudden bright light before scurrying the few yards over to Mari, climbing up the front of her robe up to her shoulder.

“Did you get it all?” she asked, reaching to pick up the niffler and cradle it in her left arm. “Can you show me?” The niffler reached into its pouch and showed one of the gold galleons, but only for a moment, tucking it safely back inside with a little grunt. “Poor guy never knew what hit him.”

Yuuri had gotten to his feet now, and came to stand beside Mari. He whistled lightly and the niffler jumped from Mari's arms to Yuuri's. “Good job,” Yuuri praised. “I bet Victor will let you keep a few as a reward.” The niffler grunted happily and climbed up the front of Yuuri's robe, slipping into his robe and settling on his chest, little claws latching on gently to the wizard's shirt. Yuuri patted the lump under his robe fondly. To Mari he said, “I love this little guy. The classes always get a kick out of him.” Yuuri's students loved to bring shiny, pretty things to class for the niffler to scavenge up.

“Yuuri?” came Victor's voice from the ruby pin on his robe. “Are you done?”

He touched the pin. “Yes,” he said. “Mari and I will meet you at home.”

Their third and final trip for the week went the same as the first. On Friday Victor was marveling at the addition of five eggs to the sanctuary. (Which he hadn't seen yet, but, that's fine...) “In just a week!” he said. “This is mind blowing.”

“It'll slow down now,” Yuuri said. “I don't think there'll be many more on hand. If we ask for more, they may be forced to go out and find wild ones, which I'd rather avoid.” They were interested in getting eggs away from breeders, not enticing poachers to go out and steal ones from nests.

Yuuri was right. Charlie couldn't convince anymore to take the bait and try to sell to Victor. Either they had caught on that the transactions never ended well, or folks were out of eggs, they weren't entirely sure.

With part one exhausted, it was time to move on to part two of the plan.

If only it had gone as smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm a little late, had a surprise 11a-11p shift today, yikes! Read through this and got it up right when I got home, might have missed a few spelling errors. Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Also, my other story now has a title and chapter one is up! It's a pirate AU called Swords & Storms. Please check it out :) 
> 
> Next week: Phase 1 of their Opaleye plan went well, but their good luck runs out eventually! Dun dun dun!


	11. The Opaleye Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri, Victor and Mari set out on their mission to rescue three Opaleye eggs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm painfully shy and haven't responded to everybody in the comments yet, but thank you all who have dropped by and left a kudo or comment! I will try to answer everybody, but if I missed you please know I love you! :) Comments get me through the workday!

Over the weekend Yuri and Victor went to Ice Castle to practice Quidditch, Yuuri tagging along to watch from the stands again and release the snitch when requested. At breaks Victor wrinkled his nose but dutifully drank his spiked water, listening for the quiet cheers when he complimented Yuuri or flew unnecessarily close to the wizard.

During the following week Victor and the Katsuki's met every evening to discuss phase two of their plan. They went over what they had dealt with when previously rescuing Opal from Tausch, and what he might have implemented in ways of security since then. They had a decent strategy in place by the time Charlie informed them that the man had managed to purchase several eggs despite their attempts to entice the sellers to come to them.

“Do we go now?” asked Victor. “Before they hatch?” He and Yuuri were in his workroom Thursday night.

Yuuri nodded. “Ideally I'd like to get them before they hatch so Azura is there. I think Opal really suffered from not only not having a dragon parental figure, but being taken away from the only ones she knew so young, even if we were taking her to a better place.”

“What do you think you'll do with so many Opaleye?” asked Victor. “Have you ever had so many of one breed before?”

“No, this is definitely unprecedented. We've never used your method of baiting them into sales before. Normally we are only interrupting one at a time.”

Victor waved a wand at the wall of beakers and vials and had a few medium sized vials float over. “I don't mean to downplay our achievement or anything, but it wasn't quite as hard as I was expecting.”

“We've had years of practice,” Yuuri said. “The first few times Mari and I went alone things got pretty dicey. It's why Mom and Dad usually come now. I am surprised they didn't have to intervene much though.” Either they were getting pretty good at this or the bad guys were getting dumber.

“So the Opaleye?”

“Right. I'm not sure. I usually want to keep them here until they're at least two. Opal will be ready by then, I'm sure. If they all get along well, hopefully we can release them all together. I don't know how many individuals usually live together in the wild, but safety in numbers, right?”

Victor tapped his chin in thought. “Would that many in one spot draw attention?”

“Hmm. Good point.” Yuuri labeled the vial in his hand and set it down, reaching for another. “Well. We have time to think it over. Let's just focus on getting the eggs first, then we can worry about what to do with them when they hatch.”

There was a knock on the door and they turned to look at it, Victor calling, “Come in!”

Yuri poked his head in, eyes landing on Yuuri. “You're still here?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

“I'm just helping Victor finish up,” Yuuri said.

“Did you need something, Yura?” asked Victor.

He huffed. “I was going to ask if you wanted to go in the hot spring before it closed for the night, but _clearly_ you're too busy.” With Yuuri. Like always.

“Oh,” said Yuuri, looking to Victor. “I only have a few left, I can manage unsupervised. You go ahead.” He got the sense that Yuri was feeling neglected.

Victor glanced at the time, noting it was about eight-thirty. “There's only a half hour left,” he said.

“I know,” Yuri said. “That's why I said 'before it closed.'”

“You can use the family pool,” Yuuri offered. “You two can stay as long as you like.”

Victor's eyes lit up. “Really? Thanks!” He charmed the ladle to keep working while he went to wash his hands of ingredients. “Why don't you come too?”

Yuuri saw Yuri roll his eyes. “No, that's alright,” he said. “I want to finish this up, and then I should check on Minami.”

“Alright,” Victor said. “Just you and me, Yura!”

“Great,” Yuri said sarcastically, though Yuuri saw a genuinely pleased glint in his eyes for just a moment. “Let's go.” He disappeared from the doorway.

 _Dragons later?_ Victor mouthed to Yuuri as he headed for the door. Yuuri considered it, but it was getting late. Adding in the impromptu bath too... He shook his head and mouthed _tomorrow._ Victor looked disappointed but nodded and slipped out the door. “Yura, wait for me!”

Yuuri watched him go before turning back to his work. They hadn't had a chance to go at all yesterday or earlier today, so he knew Victor was missing their scaly friends. They had planned to go tonight, but Yuuri was starting to feel guilty that he took up so much of Victor's time. Yuri was clearly getting irritated that they kept disappearing on him or he found Victor whispering with Mari and Yuuri all the time. Yuri was prickly and wanted to come off as uninterested, but it was obvious he was craving Victor's attention at least a little bit. Yuuri was just as eager for it as well, but he was trying not to be greedy.

“Knock knock,” came the familiar sound of his mother. He turned to see her at the door, poking her head in. “I thought Victor would be here too,” she said, considering this was his room. Plus the wizards were usually inseparable.

“He just left to take a dip in the onsen with Yuri,” he said.

“Ah. Well, I just wanted to let you know that Mari heard from Charlie just now. He's fairly certain he's found Tausch's new home.”

Yuuri perked up. “That's great. We were just wondering when we could go. Victor's a little impatient when it comes to dragons.”

Hiroko nodded. “I wish he were a little _more_ impatient in other areas,” she said quietly.

“Huh? What's that supposed to mean?” asked Yuuri.

Hiroko chuckled. “Nothing.”

“ _Mom_.”

Her cheeks turned a light pink. “Just curious,” she started. “Has he asked you on a date yet?”

“Huh?!” he coughed. _“Mom!_ No! ...And what do you mean by 'yet'?” he asked. “Does this have something to do with Yuri's constant comments on why Victor and I spend so much time together? You know I'm taking him to see Vicchan and the others.”

“Yes, yes, the dragons, yes,” Hiroko agreed. “Of course that's it.”

“...Mom?” he asked, getting the sense she was keeping something from him.

She waved him off. “Anyway, all I wanted was to tell you two that Charlie thinks he knows where to strike. We're expecting quite a busy weekend, do you think we could wait until Monday?”

Yuuri frowned, thinking it over. “Maybe,” he said. “I don't know how far along the eggs are. We could have days, we could have months.”

She nodded. “Well, I suppose Minami and Yuri would be alright for a few hours alone. Yuri's gotten quite good at manning the desk,” she praised.

Yuuri felt guilty that their main business was being interrupted so much lately. And Yuri was getting increasingly annoyed that he was spending so much time running the hotel rather than learning potions or playing Quidditch. “We would probably be fine with just Minako,” Yuuri said. “You and Dad could stay here. We really didn't need you both this week,” he said.

“Minako's dance class has their recital this weekend. Why don't we wait until Monday?” she suggested.

“I'll think about it,” Yuuri said. “But with Victor now, I think it'd be okay with just me, him and Mari.”

Hiroko nodded. “I'll discuss it with your father. You have a good night.” Yuuri bid her goodnight as well and went back to labeling potions.

* * *

Yuri and Victor were soaking in the onsen, eyes closed and enjoying the quiet. That is, until Yuri finally broke the silence. “...Victor?”

Victor hummed in response. “Yes, Yura?” After a few seconds of silence he peeked one eye open to look at the blonde. “Yura?” he repeated.

Yuri glanced at him before fixing his stare at the water before him, sinking down until the water reached his chin. “Do you want me to go back home to Russia?”

Victor instantly sat up, both eyes wide open. “What? Why would you think that?”

“Am I getting in the way of you and Yuuri?” he asked.

“No, of course not,” Victor insisted. “I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. We're both happy to have you here.”

“Well yeah, he gets free labor for the inn,” Yuri said grumpily.

“Hey,” Victor frowned. “Yuuri and the Katsuki's are just as happy to have you here as I am, and _no_ t for free labor.” Yuri didn't look convinced. “Come on. What else is on your mind?”

“It's just...” He huffed in frustration. “What are you _doing_ here?” he asked.

Victor sighed. “We've been over this. I needed-”

“Yeah, your shop and reporters and all that. Getting away to work in peace and quiet. But you _aren't_ working, Victor. Not like you used to. Your focus isn't on the potions anymore. Yeah you brew everyday, but it's like you can't wait to get out of the shop.”

“Mm,” hummed Victor. “You're right that I don't work like I used to. But I'm happy about that, to be honest. I wasn't enjoying life. I was in the shop all day and all night. It was all I did. I thought it was all there was to me. But now...”

“Now all you want to do is disappear with Yuuri,” Yuri grouched. “Where do you guys even go?”

“That's private.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “This is what I mean. You spend so much time with him, and Mari, and all the other Katsuki's lately, and none of you ever tell me what you're doing or where you're going.” And none of them ever invited Yuri to join. “Do you want me to just go?”

“No,” Victor said firmly. “I promised to mentor you in potions, and I will. And I promised to help you with Quidditch on the weekends, and I will. I'm sorry Yuuri and I have been so secretive. I didn't mean to make you feel like you were intruding.”

Yuri glanced up at him. “Is there a _reason_ you two are so secretive? Are his parents, like, against you guys dating or something? Because you guys aren't as subtle as you think you are if that's the case...”

Victor laughed. “We aren't dating, Yura.”

“Yeah, okay,” the blonde said, rolling his eyes again. “Your secret's safe with me, Victor.”

“But I mean it,” Victor said. “We aren't.”

“...Really?” asked Yuri. Victor nodded. “Are you sure about that? I mean, have you asked?”

Victor blinked dumbly. “Have I asked Yuuri if we're dating? Uh, no...?”

“Well you might want to,” Yuri said.

“That's ridiculous,” said Victor. Why would he ask that? But, then again... He laughed and leaned back against the onsen's wall. “...I'll talk to him tomorrow.”

They sat in silence for another minute. “He's not as dumb as you are,” Yuri said.

“High praise indeed,” Victor scoffed.

“I'm just saying he doesn't suck.” Even if he stole all of Victor's attention all the time. “There are worse people I could be stuck with for the summer.”

Victor smiled. “I agree.”

* * *

Friday morning Victor set Yuri up in the shop before stepping out to find Yuuri. The wizard was helping his parents with the breakfast rush before going to feed breakfast to the dragons. Victor waved him over away from the guests. 

“Morning, Victor,” he said when he approached. “Everything alright?” He usually had to come find the Russians after meal service was over, both knee deep in cauldrons. 

“Yes, everything's fine,” Victor said. 

“Did you get to spend some time with Yuri last night?” he asked. 

Victor nodded. “Yes. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. He's been feeling a little...” He struggled for the word. 

“Left out?” Yuuri suggested, and Victor nodded again. “I suppose we have been keeping to ourselves a lot. What do you suggest?” 

Victor knew it wasn't his place to tell Yuri about the dragons, or really to ask Yuuri to either. “I don't know. I wish we could explain what we're doing without giving away too much, you know?” 

Yuuri nodded. “Well, once we get the last of the Opaleye eggs, things should settle down. We have been spending a lot time planning each step, and then disappearing to do them... If we get the last part out of the way then we can go back to normal.”

“By normal, do you mean you and I still going to the field every night without him?” chuckled Victor. 

Yuuri turned a little pink. “We could cut that down too. Or....” He bit his lip in hesitation. “I had been thinking... Maybe after you two work in the mornings, and he goes to help Mari with the front desk... you could come help me with the dragons? In the sanctuary?” 

Victor gasped quietly, eyes alight with joy. “Really?” he asked.

Yuuri nodded. “That way you can still see them everyday, but we can spend the evenings with Yuri when everyone's work is done. I don't want his summer to be spent feeling bored and alone. You two could practice Quidditch, or I can actually show you guys around Hasetsu more.” Their schedules had been pretty packed, Victor had hardly seen the town. 

Victor was still beaming. “You'd trust me enough to let me come with you?” 

“Yes,” Yuuri said. “As long as you don't think it will impact your business too much.” 

Victor really couldn't care less if working half days impacted his business right now. “It'll be fine!” he said. “I'd love to help you!” 

“Okay,” Yuuri smiled. “Let's start Monday then. You can help me get all the Opaleye eggs situated, I've never needed to make a nest for this many before.” 

Victor was nearly hopping in anticipation. “How do you make a nest?” he asked eagerly, but Yuuri just shook his head fondly. 

“We'll go over it Monday,” he said. “For now, we just need to worry about getting the eggs. My parents can't get away this weekend, and Minako has a recital, but I think you, Mari and I can handle it.” 

“Of course we can,” Victor agreed. “Look how good of a team we've been so far!” 

Yuuri felt especially confident when considering he'd already successfully gotten Opal from their intended target. “I'll discuss it with Mari, but I'd like to go tomorrow. I don't want to risk waiting too long and the egg hatches.” They were instinct driven to identify the first person or creature they saw as their parents, and while Opal never deeply bonded with Tausch in the short time he had her, Yuuri suspected being ripped away from him was still traumatic, even if she was brought to a more loving home. 

After dinner that night Victor suggested they go to Ice Castle for some practice. Yuri looked pleasantly surprised and darted off to get his broom. 

“Do you want it to be just the two of you?” asked Yuuri. He would understand if they did. 

“No, please come,” Victor said. “He needs reminding that Seekers aren't the only ones on the field.” 

They arrived just as a youth league was finishing up, the triplets zooming over on their toy brooms to fly circles around Yuuri's knees. The little girls could only fly high enough to get their feet off the ground, which Yuuri was grateful for, because he was certain if the brooms weren't bewitched for safety the girls would have broken a few bones by now. “Yuuri, look what we learned today!” “I scored a goal!” “I almost got the snitch!” 

“I want to see everything,” he laughed. “One at a time.” While the rest of the kids filed out of the arena, Axel, Lutz and Loop flew back to the field where three small golden hoops stood, a miniature version of the three goal posts used in official games. Yuuri looked to Victor. “You and Yuri can practice up high, the triplets and I won't get more than a few feet off the ground, we shouldn't get in your way. Let me know when you want me to release your snitch.” Victor nodded, and he and Yuri kicked off to fly up to the height of the stands. 

Time flew by, with Yuuri thoroughly enjoying himself as the girls pummeled him with their spongy replica bludgers, the impacts hardly enough to notice despite the effort they were clearly putting into swinging their bats. He let them score more often than not while he filled in as Keeper, and when they weren't looking he charmed the snitch to half speed to give them a fighting chance at catching it. 

Soon enough Yuri and Victor landed near them announcing it was time to call it a night. The girls whined in protest, but Yuuri agreed it was getting late and that Yuuko was probably ready to lock up and get the girls home. “I'll be right back,” he said, hopping off his broom. “I'll let Yuuko know we're just about done.” He returned a few minutes later with Yuuko beside him. 

“Come on girls!” she called. “Time to go home!” They obediently zoomed over and hopped off their brooms. 

“Bye Yuuri!” “Thanks Yuuri!” “Here's your water, Yuuri!” 

Yuuri accepted the water bottle thrust at him before watching the giggling girls be corralled back out to the lobby of the building. He shook his head fondly. While he wasn't a huge Quidditch fan, he loved playing with the triplets. Still smiling, he absently unscrewed the top of his water and took a long gulp. 

Then promptly spit it all out. 

“Eugh!” he cried. “What was that?” He held up his bottle to see a pinkish tint to the water. 

Victor laughed from where he was hovering a few feet away. “Ah. That would be one of my love potions.” 

If Yuuri had had another mouthful of water, it would have been spit out again in shock. “What?!” he yelped. “You...you spiked my water with a love potion?!” Yuuri looked the picture of incredulous. 

Victor realized he'd explained that quite poorly. “Oh, no, it's not a real love potion!” he hurried to say, coming to land beside Yuuri. “It's the pink candy I gave the girls.” Yuuri looked like that didn't really clear any of this up. “They've been putting a dose in my water bottles the last two weeks.” 

“Why would they do that?” Yuuri asked. 

“I take it back,” grumbled Yuri, who was floating over them with a bored expression. “He's just as dumb as you are.” 

“Yura,” Victor frowned. “Can I have a moment alone with Yuuri, please?” 

“I can't Apparate back to the inn,” the teen pointed out. 

“Allow me to help you then,” Victor said, reaching into his robe and pulling out a wand. With a quick flick Yuri was gone. “Sorry about that,” Victor said, turning back to see Yuuri with pink cheeks. 

“...The triplets have been attempting to dose you with love potions?” Yuuri asked. 

“Yeah,” Victor nodded. “Don't ask me why.” 

“No, I think I know,” Yuuri said, mostly to himself. “They must have overheard me and Yuuko.” 

Victor's eyes brightened, and he chanced coming a few steps closer. “Overheard you and Yuuko...saying what?” he asked. Yuuri's cheeks darkened in a very telling manner, and though he remained quiet, Victor felt a little more empowered to continue. “Can I ask you something?” 

Yuuri's eyes flicked away nervously before finding Victor's again. “Okay.” 

Victor had been contemplating their relationship for a while now. He was incredibly fond of Yuuri, and enjoyed every minute spent together. He got the feeling the other wizard did too. Their interests merged so well, and it was clear their personalities fit nicely together. Their friendship, while maybe no longer 'new', was certainly in the beginning stages. Despite that, when Victor tasted his faux love potion and realized the triplets intent, he could admit to liking the idea of this friendship progressing. Maybe it already had been. He had imagined a more impressive way of going about this, not accidentally blurting out Yuri's question from last night. “Are we dating?” 

“W-what?” asked Yuuri, as that was not the question he was expecting. It was Victor's turn to look embarrassed. “Um, not that I'm aware of?” he said hesitantly. When Victor didn't say anything else, he added, “...were we in your opinion?” 

“No. Well, yes, but, no. Maybe?” 

Yuuri tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Huh?” he asked. 

“Sorry,” Victor frowned. “This isn't coming out at all how I planned.” He took a breath and readied himself to start over. “Would you want to go on a date sometime?” 

Yuuri nodded mutely a few times before managing to get out a quiet, “Yeah.” 

Victor smiled in relief, shoulders visibly relaxing. “Great.” That wasn't so hard, was it? After a moment, Victor started to collect his things. “Well, should we head back to the inn?” he asked. 

“Yeah. Let me get the girls' stuff.” Yuuri went to collect the training goal hoops and balls while Victor cleaned up their water bottles and grabbed their brooms. They left the arena and found Yuuko waiting for them at the rental counter, ready to grab their items to put away tomorrow. “Have a good night, Yuuko,” he smiled, then saw three heads pop up from behind the counter. “You too, Axel, Lutz and Loop.” 

The girls grinned and said goodnight to him as well. As they turned to leave, Yuuri caught Victor's eye then glanced back at the counter, three sets of eyes still peering over it. He offered his hand to Victor, and the other wizard readily took it. Over the course of Victor's time here it wasn't that unusual for him to grab Yuuri's hand and tow him around from his workroom to the lobby or dining room, but it felt a little different tonight. He gave Victor's hand a light, affectionate squeeze and felt one in return, then turned to wave at the girls with his free hand. Their grins turned to giggling and they ducked back behind the counter. 

“Bye Yuuri, bye Victor!” Yuuko called, smiling herself as the wizards headed for the door. 

Once outside, Victor began to reach for his wand to Apparate them home. “Could we walk back?” asked Yuuri. 

“Sure,” Victor agreed. “Lead the way.” He suspected Yuuri took the scenic route to allow them a little more time together before reuniting with his family and Yuri, but Victor wasn't complaining. 

* * *

Saturday morning found Victor and the Katsuki's in the family dining room, going over their final plans for the day.

“You have your wands?” Hiroko was asking, fretting over the three wizards. 

“Yes Mom,” Mari said, reassuring her for the fifth time. “We have our wands. Plus Victor probably has a whole arsenal.” 

Victor grinned. “I have five, do you think that's enough?” Mari rolled her eyes with a laugh. 

“It shouldn't take more than a few hours to find it, get in and get out,” Yuuri said. “We'll be home by mid afternoon at the latest.” 

Hiroko was still nervously hovering, so Toshiya offered, “If you're worried, hun, why don't you go with them? I can manage alone here.” 

“We'll be fine, Mom,” Yuuri promised again. “Stay here with Dad. We know what we're doing.” 

“...Alright,” she said. “Just be careful.” 

“Charlie gave us detailed directions,” Mari said. “We've got it covered.” After a final check that they had all their supplies, the three young wizards headed for the front yard. In the lobby of inn they ran into Yuri. 

“Where are you going?” he asked. 

“I've got to run an errand with Yuuri and Mari,” Victor said. “We'll be back later.” 

Yuri frowned. “But we have practice in an hour.” 

“I'm sorry Yura,” Victor said, looking apologetically at him as he passed. “We can practice this afternoon, alright?” 

Yuri scoffed. Victor had just promised not to ditch him for Yuuri all the time, and now he was pulling this. “Whatever,” he grouched, stomping off to his room. 

* * *

They appeared on the side of a hill, crouching low and looking over the top in the direction of a large house. While there were no neighboring houses visible in either direction, a large amount of land permitted privacy, the immediate property around the house was surrounded by a metal fence, sharp spikes along the top rail to deter intruders. While it may keep muggles out, it wasn't much for a wizard who could levitate to cross. 

“That's his home?” asked Victor. The décor was not to his liking, Victor finding the grotesque gargoyles by the front door and garage rather disturbing. 

“Yes,” said Yuuri. “At his last house he was keeping Opal in the basement. I think before we attempt to get in there we check the garage and backyard.” 

“...How did he plan to keep a fully grown dragon in his basement?” asked Victor. 

“He didn't keep her, remember? As soon as he saw she was white he wanted nothing to do with her.” 

“Yeah but if she had been a Black Opal, what was his plan?” 

Mari sighed. “Not the time for this conversation. He either has eggs or small hatchlings. They can be kept in small places. Focus on that, okay?” 

Victor nodded. “Alright. Well. I go first, right?” he asked. He'd volunteered to tackle disabling any alarm charms. The Katsuki siblings nodded. Victor turned around and crept down the back of the hill, down around the base and over to the trees that lined the long driveway. After pulling out his mother's wand, he whispered a few incantations designed to detect nearby protective enchantments. A cloud of purple smoke puffed from the end of his wand. “Hm. Interesting,” he mused. “I wouldn't have guessed that one first.” He racked his brain for a counter curse suitable for temporarily silencing the alarm, cast it, then touched the ruby broach on his robe. “Done.” 

“Where was he when I was trying to sneak Azura back to the onsen all those years ago?” grumbled Mari. 

“What I want to know is who taught him to do that?” Yuuri whispered back. “That's not something you learn in school.” 

“Yuuri?” came Victor's voice from his ruby pin. 

He hastily tapped it. “We heard you. Mari's next, wait where you are.” 

Mari waved her wand and conjured up the image of a cat. It stepped lightly down the hill, over the lawn, through the fence and on toward the house. As soon as its paw stepped foot on the driveway one of the gargoyles leaped to life and grabbed it, attempting to strangle it before it simply poofed away into nonexistence. “Oof,” Mari mumbled. “Glad we didn't use a real cat.” 

“Yeah, seriously,” Yuuri agreed. What if a stray had simply been wandering by? He shuddered at the thought and pulled out his wand. “Colloshoo,” he said, aiming at the gargoyle, and instantly its feet were stuck to the ground. He followed it up with “Duro,” hardening the already stone gargoyle into place, leaving it a simple statue. 

Mari conjured up another cat and sent it through once more, watching it make it successfully to the front door. She had it pad around the yard a few times, around the bushes, and back over to the garage. “Looks okay,” she said. “No alarm, no other motion sensitive traps.”

Yuuri touched his ruby pin. “Victor, cast your Disillusionment Charm and meet us by the gate.” Victor agreed, and Yuuri turned to cast the same spell onto himself. Immediately he looked down at his body, which no longer showed his robes and shoes. Instead all he saw was the grassy hill, his body and clothes charmed to blend seamlessly in with their surroundings, in both color and texture. “I never get used to this.” 

Mari snickered from somewhere nearby, Yuuri had to really focus to notice when the air before him rippled, giving her away. They hurried down the hill and met Victor, knowing he was there only by the bent blades of grass where he stood. 

“You know I thought you were crazy when you said you wanted to do this in broad daylight,” came Victor's voice. “This is genius.” 

Yuuri smiled, though no one could tell. “Thanks.” Yuuri believed Tausch would be less likely to expect a daytime break in. With a quick levitation charm the three hopped the fence and crept along the garage wall, peeking in the windows to see if they could spot anything out of the ordinary. “I don't see much,” Yuuri whispered. “Do you?” 

Mari and then Victor looked in the windows as they passed, both agreeing nothing looked out of place. They circled around to the back of the garage, the back yard sprawling out for several acres. Set back from the house was a shed. “What do you think?” Mari asked. “House or shed?” 

“Might as well check it while we're out here,” Yuuri said. “Wait here.” He started to briskly walk across the grass, hurrying to the small structure. To his disappointment it didn't have windows, so he glanced around quickly before cracking the door open. At first glance it seemed normal, the walls just held gardening tools, but as he stuck his head further in, he saw at the back of the shed there were stairs disappearing into the ground. “This leads somewhere,” he said quietly into his pin. He thought of his own hidden underground dragon habitat. Perhaps Tausch had done something similar. “I'm going to check it out.” 

“Not alone, you're not,” scolded Mari. After a moment she scowled and said, “Damn, there's an anti-Disapparition spell. Wait for me and Victor to walk over.” When she saw the shed door open a little further she grumbled, “ _Yuuri_.” 

“I'm just looking,” he assured her, stepping into the shed fully. It seemed innocent enough, fully capable of being a functioning gardeners shed while also playing home to mysterious stairs. After a few minutes he heard the door creak a little, and could see the ripple of the air that could only mean his cloaked sister and Victor were there. “Send the cat down?” 

Mari whispered her incantation and the cat appeared, though it was hardly helpful when the cat disappeared into darkness halfway down the stairs. “If we light it up there's no hiding our presence,” Mari said. “Do we risk that or check the house?” 

Victor piped up with, “If I was going to hide illegal dragon eggs, I would do it in the creepy shed.” 

“I hid my dragons underground,” Yuuri pointed out. Victor perked up, having not known that. 

“...Alright. Follow me,” Mari instructed, and where her wand tip must have been illuminated, “Lumos.” They followed her down, feeling the temperature drop as they descended. Finally it evened out to a landing, and Yuuri and Victor cast their own lumos to see better. 

From where they stood at the bottom of the stairway they could see they were at an intersection of two hallways. One lead straight ahead to a closed door, and the other went off to the left, turning shortly after, giving no clue to what it may lead to. “Alright,” Yuuri said. “Unexpected.” He'd sort of hoped they would just come down to a small room and find the eggs, that easy. 

“I'll get the door,” Victor offered, going down the short hallway to the wooden door. “Alohomora.” The lock clicked open and Victor barely had it open an inch before vicious barking could be heard and something slammed into the door, closing it. “He still has the three headed dog!” Victor guessed. The barking and thrashing continued on the other side, getting louder as the dog got angrier. 

“We need to quiet it and we need to do it now,” Yuuri snapped, running to Victor's side and holding out his hand, a flute appearing in his palm. Victor was rather impressed with Yuuri's effortless Transfiguration skills. Yuuri charmed the flute to play, opened the door a crack and threw it in. The volume of barking slowly subsided as one head after another fell asleep. Within minutes it was silent, the three wizards only debated for a moment if they should continue when they heard footsteps on the stairs. “Shit,” Yuuri groaned, and opened the door and hurried in. “You both here?” he asked, and when he heard Victor and Mari whisper yes he closed the door as quietly as he could. “Colloportus.” The lock clicked into place. “I wish Mom and Dad taught me that anti-Alohomora spell,” Yuuri groaned. 

“I know it,” Victor whispered, and wordlessly cast it mere seconds before the doorknob jingled. They held their breath, listening to the slumbering three-headed dog beside them and the angry voice trying to cast an Alohomora to get in. 

Unable to speak to give directions and invisible, Yuuri didn't know how to communicate with the other two. He pointed his wand at his chest and counteracted the Disillusionment charm so they could see him. He looked around, saw that the room had another door, and figured that was their only choice. He waved for the two to follow. 

To his surprise it was unlocked, though he supposed after an alarm spell, murderous gargoyle and three-headed dog, you'd think you wouldn't need to lock a door anymore. The room they entered was rather large, about the size of Yu-Topias dining room, with faux windows on the walls charmed to produce light. In the center was a chest, a large padlock in place. Yuuri slowly padded over to it, using “Cistem Aperio” to unlock it. He lifted the lid to see three stony eggs nestled in hay. “Here you are,” he said quietly, patting one egg affectionately. “We'll get you out of here.” 

Mari canceled her concealment as well, appearing in front of Yuuri with a mild frown. “Glad we found them,” she agreed. “But there appears to be one way in and one way out.” 

“Which is blocked,” Victor said, materializing on Yuuri's other side. “That's my fault. We knew he had a guard dog.” 

“We didn't know where it was though,” Yuuri pointed out. “You couldn't have known.” 

“Regardless of fault, they're probably on to us,” Mari said. “We can't Disapparate and we most likely will run into someone if we go back the way we came. Suggestions?” 

Yuuri closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he ran over their options in his mind. “Ambush them,” he said, opening his eyes and turning back to his sister. “Reapply the Disillusionment charm, wait for them to come in here, knock them out and run.” 

“That could work,” said Mari. The gears were clearly turning in her mind, face serious. “Okay. You and Victor wait here. I'll go unlock the door in the room with the dog. I'll watch and see how many we're dealing with and give you a heads up. Victor, can I have Mom's broach back?” The wizard nodded and unclipped the ruby, handing it over to Mari who attached it to her robe. “I say if no one comes in ten minutes, we take our chances on running straight out. Maybe they came to check on the dog, didn't hear anything and left. Maybe they got frustrated with the door and left. Who knows.” Yuuri and Victor nodded, then the three cast their concealment charms again and split up. 

While Mari went back to unlock the door, Victor positioned himself near the entrance of their current room. Yuuri went to the chest, opening it again and trying to judge how heavy the eggs were. He picked one up, and knew he could only realistically run with one in his arms. “What's a lightening charm?” he asked, and Victor's disembodied voice answered with the feather-light charm incantation. Yuuri was still trying to figure out how to carry all three at once when he heard Mari's voice whisper from his pin, “Two.” He quickly settled on shrinking the trunk altogether and pocketing it, like they had done many times before last week. 

He heard footsteps quickly approaching, along with an angry voice. “That flute didn't appear out of nowhere, someone had to charm it to play!” Yuuri pressed back against the wall, doing his best to be silent and invisible. Two men appeared in the doorway, the first swearing as he entered the room. “Where the hell are the eggs?!” 

“If Tausch finds out we lost them-!” 

“We didn't lose shit,” the first snapped. “They were stolen!” 

“On our watch!” 

A red jet of light struck one of them in the back, Victor having nonverbally cast Stupefy. Before the other man could react Yuuri sent his own at the second, “Stupefy!” Both men fell unconscious to the floor in a heap. 

“Let's go,” Yuuri heard Victor say, and he made for the doorway, hurrying down the hall to the sleeping dog. 

“Mari?” he asked. 

“I'm here,” she said. “I didn't see any more than those two. You have the eggs?” 

“Yes. Let's get out of here.” 

The three raced back down the hall to the foot of the stairs, listening for any sign of someone up in the shed before they began to ascend the staircase. Not hearing anything, Mari went up first, followed by Victor and Yuuri. They only had to get off the private property before they could Disapparate home. As soon as they opened the shed door a dozen bursts of red and green lit up the doorway, causing them to drop to the floor to avoid being hit. 

“What was that?” panted Yuuri. 

“We've been found,” said Mari. “Again. By the amount of curses just now I'm guessing there's several out there.” 

“Okay. Um. This is fine,” Yuuri frowned, trying to stay calm. “We're essentially invisible. They don't know how many there are of us. If we can get out the door we can split up, send curses in every direction, they won't know where we are or where to aim.”

“Let me go first,” Victor said. “I can use a shield charm to block their curses while we get out the door. Ready?” The other two agreed, and on the count of three, Victor pushed the door open while casting a shield charm. When they exited the shed they were immediately drenched, and Yuuri could see the surprise on both their faces. 

He shouldn't be able to see surprise. They were supposed to be invisible. 

“Thief's Downfall,” he swore. 

“What?” asked Mari. 

“Run!” The water washed away all enchantments, not only their Disillusionment, but also the shrinking curse and feather-light charm. The trunk of eggs returned to full size and weight, ripping Yuuri's robes in the process and causing him to stumble to the ground. Mari started to turn around but Yuuri shouted, “Go!” at her, and she ran for the property edge, sending curses at anything that moved. 

“Victor, follow Mari!” Yuuri yelled, getting to his feet only to duck behind the trunk to avoid another jet of red sparks. He guessed there were half a dozen wizards in the yard. 

Victor's protective spell was holding up against the onslaught of spells from their right, but it wouldn't last forever. “What about you?” 

“I'll be right behind you,” Yuuri assured him. He sent a stunning spell over the top of the trunk before opening it up to see the eggs. One had a minor crack, but they otherwise looked fine. “Clear a path for me, okay?” Victor looked unsure but nodded, reinforcing his protection spell before heading in the direction Mari had gone, keeping one eye on Yuuri who was gently lifting the heavy eggs out of the trunk. He tried shrinking them again, but as soon as they touched his damp pockets the spell was broken and they were back to true size. “Damn it,” he groaned. He couldn't hold them against his damp chest either. They'd come all this way, he couldn't just leave the poor things behind. 

“Victor, behind you!” 

Yuuri looked up at the sound of Mari's voice in time to see Victor's wand go flying, the wizard chasing after him reaching up to catch it. Yuuri jumped to his feet, taking only a few steps after Victor when he felt a jolt and lost his own wand. Helpless, Yuuri watched as Victor was struck with Locomotor Mortis, his legs locking up mid run, causing him to fall roughly to the ground, skidding a few feet on the ground until he came to a stop. 

Victor had another wand. Yuuri _knew_ he had another four. He could see Victor scrambling to get to his pockets, half his body immobilized and the other having landed awkwardly and painfully. 

Yuuri had been so distracted he hardly noticed he'd been surrounded until a man grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back. Even then he didn't care much, too busy keeping one eye on Victor and scanning the yard for Mari. He couldn't see her. Why couldn't he see her? 

“Well, well,” came an amused voice, and Yuuri's stomach dropped when Tausch stepped in front of him. “I thought you'd come back. You just can't help yourself, can you?” Yuuri grit his teeth and said nothing. “One wasn't enough for you?” he asked. “You stole my Opaleye last year. Now you came to steal these three from me? I don't think so.” 

He strode away from Yuuri, going to stand over Victor who had been further stunned still, unable to get to a wand. “Victor Nikiforov,” mused Tausch. “I thought you might have something to do with this. I hear all your attempts to buy eggs went poorly. Did you really think no one would catch on to your little scheme?” 

Victor followed Yuuri's lead and stayed silent, fighting against the curse that left him immobile. _Get a wand_ , he thought frantically. _Get a wand._

Tausch glanced back at Yuuri. “You I need,” he said. “I want to know where all those eggs ended up. But you,” he looked down at Victor. “You're just in the way. I don't need both of you.” He glanced at one of the wizards near him. “Wipe his memory. All of it.” 

“Yes sir.” 

“No!” cried Yuuri. 

Victor wasn't sure what happened next. One moment he was watching Yuuri struggle in one of the men's grips, and the next thing he knew a large blue dragon was charging in his direction. He feared it would trample him, paralyzed as he was, but it was careful not to step on him as it whipped its tail at Tausch and two others, sending them sprawling onto the lawn. 

The half dozen wizards employed by Tausch immediately sent curse after curse toward the blue dragon, but each ricocheted off it's scales. Victor watched in amazement as it knocked several wizards to the ground with either it's head or tail, snapping at them with its sharp fangs but being mindful not to bite. Any remaining on their feet were sent tumbling head over heels by the gust created when it beat its wings. 

Panting hard, the dragon stood protectively over Victor, glaring at the wizards around them. One by one any who were left conscious got to their feet, running for the property line and Disapparating away. Victor stared up at it, too stunned to be afraid, absently thinking, _Ah, a sui riu._

_Wait_. A blue sui riu? Like the original scale he'd found that started all of this? That Yuuri had snatched from his hand snapping ' _That's mine_!' in a panic? 

“Y...Yuuri?” he asked in disbelief. The dragon blinked down at him, and he _swore_ it nodded, but before he could say anything else the dragon stumbled, roaring in pain as it frantically blinked its eyes. Victor watched in horror as it shook its head, eyes beginning to swell shut. Victor recognized the effects of the Conjunctivitis Curse, a spell that irritated its targets eyes. Dragons were particularly susceptible to it, as their eyes were one of the few parts of their body not covered in scales and left vulnerable. 

“Bullseye!” came a triumphant voice, and Victor looked to see one of the men they'd stunned in the tunnel wide awake, a woman by his side this time. “You get the eggs, Alice. I'll get the blue beast.” 

“Got it!” she beamed, hopping over to the trunk and taking out the eggs, shrinking them and pocketing all three. 

“Incarcerous!” called the wizard, and ropes burst from his wand, encircling the dragon. “Stupefy, you damn beast!” While not rendered unconscious, the dragon swayed on it's feet, as if fighting to stay awake while blinded and stunned. 

Victor heard three cracks, and looked to the property line to see Mari appear with her parents. Hiroko called out a frightened “Yuuri!” as the three ran in their direction. 

“We gotta go!” cried the man, and he held out his hand to the woman, in which he was holding something Victor couldn't quite make out. Once the woman touched it, she disappeared along with the wizard, the eggs, and Yuuri. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 points to Thunderbird House for Specs2 suspecting Yuuri didn't fail at the animagus potion, and 20 points for Leonzite for guessing correctly that his form was a dragon! :)


	12. Not Now, Yura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Victor and the Katsuki's scramble to find a way to locate and rescue Yuuri, Yuuri is preoccupied with protecting the eggs from Alice and Antonin. Yuri is tired of being left in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter and this one were so fun to write! The whole idea of this story started with the image in my head of Victor having no idea Yuuri was a dragon animagus, and something prompting Yuuri to have to transform to protect him. That was it, the whole idea xD I just had to figure out how to get there. And look how much it's filled out in terms of plot! Originally it was just supposed to be Vicchan, if you remember I mentioned Azura and Verndari weren't supposed to survive but I didn't have it in me to kill them off after all. I figured maybe one or two others, but now we have so many! This has been such a delight to work on, and even I'm surprised with some of the things that have developed! Please enjoy, I think you will really like what's coming!

Yuri was in the lobby of Yu-Topia sitting at the reception desk, a stool pulled over for him to sit and his feet propped up on the counter. So far he'd had a rather uneventful morning. Seeing as Victor ditched him for some quality time with Yuuri, he figured he had nothing better to do than help the Katsuki's with selling his potions at the front counter. He had his two-way mirror in hand, chatting to Otabek who was getting ready for bed after a particularly grueling Quidditch practice.

Suddenly the quiet lobby burst into life as Victor and three out of four Katsuki's Apparated before him. Yuri jumped and almost dropped the mirror, stomach dropping at the looks on everyone's faces. "I'll talk to you later, Beka."

Hiroko was crying as Toshiya wrapped his arms around her, leading her through the lobby toward the family rooms. “It's okay, hun,” he was assuring her. “We'll find him. We'll get him back, I promise. He'll be fine.”

Yuri looked to Victor who looked ashen and was being uncharacteristically quiet. “What happened?” he asked. Realizing someone was missing, “Where's Yuuri?”

Victor flinched. “Not now, Yura.”

“What do you mean 'not now,'” he asked. “What's going on?” He looked to Mari, who appeared unable to make up her mind on if she wanted to scream or cry.

“Not now,” he repeated. “Mari and I need to talk.” They locked eyes for a moment before heading for the dining room.

Yuri frowned. “Is anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” he demanded.

“I'll explain it later,” Victor said. “I'm sorry, but this is an emergency.”

They found Toshiya and Hiroko already at the table and sat down to join them. Earlier at Tausch's home they had given them a quick rundown of what had happened, up to the moment they witnessed Yuuri blink out of sight. In return, Victor had been given some new information as well.

Yuuri was an animagus.

Rare in itself, Yuuri was particularly unique in that he was unlicensed. Mari explained that when Yuuri had completed the potion and spells necessary for the transformation back in his school days, he had been just as shocked as Phichit to discover his animagus form was a dragon. She told Victor how he'd been determined to achieve a full animagus transformation for the Transfiguration Tournament his 6th year at Ilvermorny, but upon discovery of his form, attempted to drop out in fear it would reveal the existence of dragons. It was generally accepted that animagi could only take the forms of real creatures, and Yuuri didn't want to draw any attention to the species. Phichit thought he could play it off as a fancy party trick, but Yuuri hadn't been willing to risk it. He told Celestino and anyone who asked that he had failed and left it at that.

Victor's mind was so overwhelmed he was having trouble stringing together coherent thoughts. It bounced from shock at seeing Yuuri turn into a dragon to despair at watching him vanish to being hurt Yuuri hadn't told him a thing about being an animagus. In all their talks of what he'd learned about dragons over the years, he never thought to mention he could turn _into_ one?

Mari was the first to break the silence. “I think we should go back to Tausch's place.”

“They aren't there,” Victor said. “We saw them leave. They'd be idiots to go back.”

Mari frowned. “Well what do you suggest?” she asked.

“I don't know,” he admitted. “But I don't think that would help.”

“Help,” Mari scoffed. “A lot of help you ended up being, Mr. Greatest-Sorcerer-of-the-Century. How does someone with five wands get disarmed so easily?”

“I was hit from behind!” he said defensively. “And _stunned_. What were _you_ doing?”

“Stop it,” Toshiya interrupted. “No sense fighting among ourselves. We need to figure out what we're going to do to find Yuuri.”

Mari nodded. “And as soon as possible. I don't know what will happen if they manage to fully stun him.”

Victor frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I don't know if he'll stay a dragon or turn human,” she said. “And I'm honestly not sure which would be the best case scenario.”

“If he returns to his human self, couldn't he try to reason with them? They want dragons and eggs not him,” Hiroko said.

Mari and Victor shared a nervous look. “Exactly. They want dragons.” They wouldn't have any use for him, and probably wouldn't want to keep any witnesses to their crimes around. Neither had the heart to voice those concerns around Hiroko though.

She seemed to pick up what they were thinking and hid her face in her hands again, leaning against Toshiya's shoulder. “We'll find him,” her husband assured her again. “I promise.”

“We should have gone with them,” she cried quietly. “I knew we should have gone with them.”

“Yuuri had plenty of experience, he had his sister and Victor, he had good reason to be confident,” Toshiya said.

“He should have left the eggs,” Mari said, scowling at the table. “I know that's what we went there for, but when things fell apart he should have just left the damn eggs behind.” They weren't worth losing a brother over.

Hiroko sniffled. “We all know he'd never do that.”

“Yeah,” Mari agreed. “But that doesn't mean I'm not giving him hell for it when we get him back.”

“But where do we start?” asked Victor.

The four sat quietly, thinking it over. Finally Mari said, “The same way we started this. Charlie. I'll ask him to reach out to anyone he knows. Tell them we're looking for a sui riu.”

* * *

Yuuri blinked slowly awake. He felt heavy, incredibly heavy, and it took more effort than it should to simply keep his eyes open. His vision swam before him, so he took a few moments to concentrate on one spot on the opposite wall. He stared at it, blinking to clear the fog and struggling to make sense of what he was seeing. A stone wall. Damp, dark looking stone wall. Unfamiliar stone wall.

He was laying on stone, he realized. It was cool and wet and he could feel it along his entire body. It was uncomfortably cool in here. With a grunt he lifted his head and turned to look at his body, noting in surprise that it was not a human torso he was looking at but a blue dragon's. He vaguely recalled what happened at Tausch's home, being stunned and Disapparated, and then stunned and stunned again.

 _The eggs..._ The thought echoed as he dropped his head onto the stone floor once again and slipped back into darkness.

The next time he woke it was much darker. He felt a little more lucid, though still very much drowsy as he struggled to sit up and take in his surroundings. He was in a room made of thick stone blocks, small windows built in that even if he were to shrink back to a human he'd have difficulty getting through. It wasn't a very large room. He guessed he could barely pace more than a few steps when standing, and he certainly couldn't stretch his wings out fully. He supposed that was intentional.

Yuuri looked around him and his heart rate spiked when he noticed the three eggs in the corner. He quickly bent down to get a better look at them, noting the crack on one of them seemed to have gotten longer. That was concerning, along with how cold it was in here. He let out a breath of hot steam on the eggs, then carefully used his tail to gently pull them away from the cold wall and snug up against his side. He kept up a steady flow of steam, hoping the eggs hadn't been too cold for too long. They were stony, so much so he'd heard muggles often mistook them for fossils rather than current hatchlings, and it was difficult to tell if they were beyond saving. He would hope for the best and try to get them back up to temperature.

Yuuri drifted off to sleep at some point, and was awoken in the morning by the sounds of voices arguing. He kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep as he tried to listen in, and it sounded like the people were just outside one of the small windows.

“I need to see it first. Then we can agree on a price.”

“Gold first. Can't have you trying to pull one over on me.”

“What do you think I'm going to do, Antonin? Put a dragon in my pocket?”

A female voice chimed in, “Disapparate away with it. Like we did to Tausch. We ain't stupid, we know all the tricks.”

The first voice sighed. “If you stole this from Tausch, it's worthless. As soon as he hears about it he'll demand anyone who has it to return it or threaten to call them out as a thief. No one will do business with them again. I can't have that kind of reputation.”

“Then don't tell him you have it,” said Antonin with attitude. “Keep it in your private collection. I don't care. You wanted a Japanese dragon, I got you a Japanese dragon. Take it or leave it.”

Another sigh. “And what are the eggs?”

“Antipodean Opaleye. From New Zealand. Got three of them. One kinda got banged up on the way here, you can have that one for free. Might be a dud.”

“...I'll think about it. The sui riu might be too hot for me. I don't want Tausch on my back.”

“Well make up your mind quickly, 'cause I got other buyers who won't sit on a deal like this.”

“I'll keep in touch.” There was a crack as the man Disapparated away.

Yuuri heard “Alohomora” and the sound of a door opening. He pulled the eggs closer to him with his tail, crouching over them protectively and letting out a threatening rumble. Through the door came a witch and a wizard, eyeing him up with an unimpressed look.

“You think Tausch knows it was us?” asked the witch.

“I don't know Alice,” Antonin answered. “It was chaotic. Anyone could have ran off with the eggs. I think Tausch was out cold, he shouldn't have seen us.”

“What if no one else wants this thing?”

“ _Someone_ will want it,” he said. “Even if we have to leave Japan to make sure it doesn't get back to anyone around here. We got contacts in the States. We haven't been there in years, maybe it's time.”

Alice crossed her arms. “I get the profit on this one,” she decided. “You owe me. If I hadn't gone looking for you in that tunnel you'd still be out cold under that asshole's shed.”

“Yeah? Well it was my idea to bail on his plan of catching Nikiforov and his friend and just taking the eggs and running. So _I_ should get the gold.” They both jumped when the dragon angrily sent hot steam in their direction, and they quickly put up a shield spell. “You be quiet,” he snarled, sending a _stupefy_ curse at the dragon that ricocheted off. “Those damn scales.” The dragon sent another burst of steam their way. “You want me to hit your eyes again, huh?” The dragon growled but lowered its head, breathing lightly on the eggs while glaring at the witch and wizard. “Yeah that's what I thought.”

“How are we going to get the eggs away from it?” Alice asked. “It took _forever_ to get it down last night.”

“It can keep them for now if it wants,” he said, rolling his eyes. “They're cracked anyway, who knows if they're even any good. Let's focus on finding someone to buy them, and quick.”

“Should we feed it?” she asked.

“Nah. It'll be easier to handle if it's weaker. Hopefully we're through of it by tomorrow anyway.” With one last glance over the dragon they pulled the door shut and left.

* * *

By Sunday morning, Yuri had had enough of being ignored. He caught Victor in the hallway and grabbed his elbow to keep him from hurrying away. “ _Victor_.”

“Not now, Yura.”

“Yes now, Victor,” he glared again, not releasing him. “What's going on? You can't expect me to not notice the fact Yuuri didn't come back with you yesterday. What happened?”

Victor hesitated, then gave in with a sad look. “Yuuri and I had some business to do yesterday. It went poorly.”

“What kind of business?”

“That's not important,” Victor said. “What _is_ important is that Mari and I are going to fix it. Yuuri's...working on it remotely,” he settled on.

“What the hell does that mean?” Yuri frowned.

“That's all I can say, Yura,” Victor said. “I'm sorry. It's a sensitive topic. We'll explain when we can. In the meantime please help the Katsuki's any way you can.” He pulled away from Yuri's grip and hurried down the hall.

“They never tell me _anything,”_ grouched Yuri.

* * *

Mari scanned their most recent letter quickly. “Charlie wants to know if we want to alert the Ministry. Make this an official missing persons case.”

“Is that wise?” asked Hiroko. “Yuuri didn't want anyone to know he was an animagus.”

“I don't care if people find out he's an animagus if it helps us find him,” Mari said. “Whatever the punishment is for being unlicensed can't be worse than this.”

Toshiya nodded. “I agree.”

“Could we file a missing persons claim without mentioning he's an animagus?” asked Victor. “Just have them looking for him?”

“That would only be helpful if he stays human,” Mari said. “We don't know what he's doing right now.”

“How helpful do we think the Ministry will even be?” asked Victor. “Will their priority be finding Yuuri or covering this up?”

“Good point,” Mari frowned. “What do you think?” she asked, looking to her parents.

“Charlie knows the Ministry best,” Hiroko said. “If he thinks it would help...”

Toshiya put an arm around his wife. “Let's trust in Charlie and his contacts. If they don't make progress by tomorrow we'll alert the whole Ministry. Okay?” Hiroko nodded.

* * *

Yuuri was carefully looking over the eggs as he contemplated what he'd just overheard. Based on the conversation he was fairly certain he was still in Japan. He was also fairly certain fate was playing a cruel joke on him, because if he remembered correctly, Alice and Antonin were the two he'd stumbled upon all those years ago with Azura, Verndari and Vicchan. To now be the dragon in their possession...

They were apparently planning on trying to get rid of him rather quickly. That could be a good thing, he supposed. Maybe he could get out during transport. How to take the eggs with him though... Dragons didn't exactly have pockets.

He had been alone for what he guessed were several hours now with no sign of his captors. After a lengthy internal debate he decided to risk returning to his normal human self. He patted his pockets quickly, not surprised to find no wand but hoping against hope he somehow had one. Once again equipped with hands, he picked up each egg and turned it over. They felt warm, which was a good sign. He'd been meticulous at maintaining their temperature.

Satsified that they were okay for now, he turned his attention toward himself. Was he okay? He took a moment to just stand still and take in how he felt. A little sore, more than a little hungry, but nothing ached unbearably. His eyes itched, but they were nowhere near as bad as they had been the day before.

Without a wand he had few options on helping himself. They had learned basic spells in his last year of school to perform wandless, but not a lot that would help him now, other the ability to conjure an apple. It had been years since he tried, but after some time and effort he was rewarded with half a dozen fuji apples. Better than nothing, he supposed, and ate 2 quickly and did his best to hid the others behind the eggs.

Yuuri knew he had to switch back to a dragon soon or risk being caught, but he had never stayed in his dragon form for such an extended period and was a little worried about what that would do to him physically. Was he going to need the caloric intake of the dragons back home? He doubted Alice was planning on giving him a few hundred pounds of meat everyday. God that was so many apples... He wasn't sure he could conjure that many without being too exhausted to handle the animagus transformation.

“A few days won't kill me,” he muttered to himself. He could stand to scrape by for a few days. Hopefully he'd be out of here before he needed to worry too much about food.

He took a moment to listen for approaching footsteps. Still nothing.

Okay, he had a little more time. Yuuri closed his eyes and envisioned a piece of parchment paper. Never before had he been so thankful to be so skilled in Transfiguration. It would be hard to do it wandless, but Celestino had drilled into him conjuring charms the entire year. Nowhere wasn't that different from anywhere, and anywhere was everywhere. Yuuri's brain had just about melted when Caio Caio was explaining it, but over the course of his studies he learned to grasp that objects in non-being ceased to exist until they were conjured, and all he had to do was pluck them into reality.

He held his palm up before him and imagined a _tug_ on invisible strings, envisioning what he wanted and calling it forth. It took several tries, if he had a wand it would have been so easy, but finally he had in his hand a piece of parchment. He sighed in relief.

The paper bird charm was easy enough that nearly everyone could do it without a second thought, wandless or not. “This letter is for Victor and Mari,” he said, and watched the paper fold itself into a bird. “Tell them I think I'm still in Japan.” He saw his messy writing begin to cover one wing. “The eggs and I are fine for now. We're all up for sale and they're trying to do it fast. Possibly taking us to the United States. Oh, it's Alice and Antonin, I think the same ones from New Mexico. Mari will know who I mean.”

He sat back, trying to think if he had any other crucial data. “I'm not sure where I am,” he admitted. “Some kind of stone room. Maybe a basement? Small windows. Maybe a storehouse of some kind? I can't hear anything to tell me what I'm near, so I assume I'm in the middle of nowhere. Um. Oh, Tausch apparently expected us to come for the eggs, he suspected Victor didn't just have bad luck with the egg sales. I've eavesdropped on a few conversations and it sounds like he planned to lure us with the three eggs he had and then force us into giving over the ones we'd stolen. How he planned to do that I'm thankful we won't have to find out. But when shit hit the fan these two just grabbed me and eggs and bolted.”

He could hear chatter in the distance and knew the two were getting close. “For now they think I'm a dragon and I'm trying to keep it that way. It's currently...damn, I don't know the time. I'm sending this in what I think is the early afternoon. Hopefully you can try to gauge how far I am from you by how long it takes to get to you.” Yuuri nodded at the bird who chirped and flew out the window as Yuuri turned back into a sui riu.

* * *

Victor sat quietly in his workroom. None of the cauldrons were bubbling, no knives were chopping away. He just sat still, staring at a half full bottle of some pretty yellow potion, thinking about what they could have done differently yesterday.

He'd brought multiple wands in the event one of theirs was damaged or lost to a disarming spell, but he'd kept them in his cloaks inner pocket, which turned out difficult to get to when half your body was immobilized. He should have split them up in different pockets, or had Yuuri and Mari each carry one, just in case. He should have used his Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. He'd completely forgotten he'd had it.

Things had gone so smoothly up until yesterday that all three of them hadn't really expected to use any of their backup plans. They'd gotten careless, and no amount of fancy spellwork on Victor's part was helpful now. Yuuri was taken and it had been such stupid little mistakes they made. Even _Yuri_ knew countercourses for Expelliarmus and Stupefy. Victor had won every dueling competition he'd ever entered and when it really mattered he'd been disarmed and stunned in seconds. It was just as humiliating to lose that way as it was devastating to have let Yuuri slip away.

He refused to make the same mistakes again. No being outnumbered or snuck up on. They'd do this right and get Yuuri home.

* * *

The next time Yuuri was alone he turned human and attempted to Disapparate home. He knew the odds of being able to without a wand were slim, but he tried anyway. He had no luck. Whether it was too difficult or there was an anti-Disapparition charm he wasn't sure. He huffed in irritation and conjured a few more apples.

* * *

Mari was on her feet the second she saw the bird fly in the window, snatching it out of the air before it fully unfolded itself. “Mom! Dad!” she called.

“What is it?” asked Toshiya, hurrying down the hall to where she was at the front counter, Hiroko right behind him.

“Is it from Charlie?” asked Hiroko.

Mari quickly flattened it out and recognized her brother's messy script. “It's from Yuuri,” she announced, and the three pressed together to read it. Once done, she hurried to find Victor. “Victor, we have a note from Yuuri!” she said.

He instantly perked up. “Is he alright?”

“Yes,” she said, coming over to hand him the note. “He thinks he's still in Japan. Only a few hours away from the sounds of it. They haven't figured out he's human yet. They're trying to sell him, and fast.”

Victor took the note and quickly read it. “Not much to go on as far as location is concerned.” Though he was enormously relieved to hear from him. “We still haven't heard anything from Charlie?”

“Not yet,” she said. “He's got everyone he trusts listening for news about a sui riu. I don't think we can count on gossip getting to us before they move Yuuri to America though.”

“We'll think of something.”

“Should we write back?” Mari asked.

Victor frowned. “...No. We don't want the bird to arrive at a bad time and give him away. If he's in dragon form and can't accept it, it may hover around and one of them could take it.”

“Good point.” Her eyes light up. “Our family pins,” she said, and tapped the ruby broach on her robe. “Yuuri?” she asked. They held their breath in anticipation, but after several seconds there was no answer. “Damn it.”

“Keep it with you,” suggested Victor. “In case he has his but just can't answer right now.”

* * *

Yuuri huffed out another puff of steam on the eggs, using one clawed paw to carefully turn them. He had seen Azura do the same with eggs previously, but never expected to be the one to do it himself. He hoped he was doing everything he was supposed to. He'd noticed a few cracks on a second egg now, and was distraught at the thought he'd somehow been too rough.

"For stone you sure are delicate," he said, rotating it a little more. "I swear I'm barely touching you. Why are you cracking?" Maybe he should stop moving them and hope heating them was enough.

Satisfied they were good for now, he set his head down on his paws, watching over the three eggs while his tail flicked idly beside them. He'd been left alone for hours now and was trying to get himself calm enough to get some rest. Other than his stunned stupor he didn't think he'd gotten any real sleep since he'd been here.

Keeping an ear out for approaching footsteps, he cautiously let his eyes fall closed. Just as he was drifting off a peculiar noise caught his attention. He tried to ignore it, it was faint and easy enough to ignore at first, but it was persistent. Every few seconds an odd tapping, clicking kind of noise. No particular rhythm, but steady in that it just wouldn't go away. After a few minutes it stopped and Yuuri put it out of his mind, rustling his wings as he adjusted to get more comfortable and settle back in to sleep.

It started up again.

He huffed and opened his eyes, sitting up and looking at the window, wondering if something was outside their room, but then he realized it was coming from much closer than that. Yuuri looked down at the eggs and saw the cracks along the first one he'd noticed with them had grown even more. And what's more, it was shaking.

Yuuri scrambled to his feet, peering down at it while holding his breath. The stony egg shook slightly, and a tappity-tap-tap noise came from within. With a jolt he realized this egg was about to hatch.

* * *

Yuri circled the arena at Ice Castle slowly, halfheartedly scanning for the snitch. He was using a new scene today, a forest setting complete with chirping birds and a few squirrels and raccoons that would walk across the grass down below. Yuuko had been kind enough to let him have the field to himself free of charge while Victor and the Katsuki's worked on whatever it was they were doing.

He found it hard to focus. As annoying as Victor was, Yuri wasn't accustomed to training alone. He always had his team, his grandfather or Otabek with him. Now he was used to the silver haired idiot shouting drills at him and all other things Seekers didn't really need to do since their only goal was catching the snitch.

Yuri was still very annoyed everyone was keeping him in the dark. Clearly something was going on with Yuuri. Everyone was upset and quiet, and no matter how Victor tried to assure him Yuuri was working on some business remotely, Yuri didn't buy it. They wouldn't be so upset if he was simply working. And working on what, anyway? They keep saying that but what exactly is he doing? What are they all doing?

He saw a flash of gold and flew toward it, aware he wasn't going nearly fast enough to catch it but still trailing along after it. This wasn't fun by himself, but Victor kept saying _Not now, Yura_ , and if he heard that one more time he was going to hit Victor with the Bat Bogey Jinx.

* * *

A spiderweb of cracks covered one egg, and a second was starting to show signs of its cracks growing as well. Yuuri was inwardly panicking. He'd been with Azura and the other female dragons for a dozen hatches, but he'd never been alone with the eggs before. The dragons took charge and we was around to step in if needed, but he'd never actually been needed before!

He kept them warm, nudging at them with his snout now and then. _This is happening_ , he thought frantically. _This is fine. Everything is fine._

Yuuri had been so distracted he hadn't noticed the approaching footfalls, but as soon as the lock clicked he turned to face the door, shooting a hot burst of steam at the door before it had even opened an inch.

"What the hell?!" he heard Antonin yell angrily from behind the closed door. "What's its problem?"

"Ugh, let me do it," Alice sighed, but as soon as she pushed it open Yuuri threw his body against the door, the small room making it easy to cross in seconds. He let out a short roar to let his irritation at being disturbed known.

"Take the Apparition ban down," Antonin suggested. "We can pop in there and knock it out."

"I don't think so," Alice frowned. "It sounds pissed. It's probably fully woken up from all of our stuns. We can't just pop in there. You remember how hard it was to get it down the first time. And that was when it was blinded."

"So blind it again. We need the eggs. Sweeney says he won't pay until he see's their condition. I'm gonna pick the best of them and hope he assumes they're all the same."

"That's exactly why everyone who knows you insists on seeing things in person before buying them," Alice pointed out. "You should let me handle sales."

"I'll let you handle the dragon," he said. "Get me an egg for Sweeney." There was a crack as he Disapparated away.

Yuuri let out a particularly threatening rumble, flicking his tail at the stone wall hard enough for the impact to be heard on the other side. Like hell he was letting either one of them near the eggs.

* * *

"Victor."

The wizard looked up at the sound of his name, seeing Yuri standing in the doorway of his bedroom. Victor had all of his dragon textbooks out on his bed, surrounding him in a rainbow of diagrams and details. "Yes?"

Yuri walked further into the room to stand at the side of the bed, glancing down at the material. "Why are you suddenly obsessed with..." he squinted to read the chapter titles, "...Japanese water dragons all of a sudden? Aren't you supposed to be doing something for Yuuri or whatever?"

"This is relevant," Victor said.

Yuri stared at him. "How could dragon lore books be relevant to... _anything_?"

"I'm not in the mood to explain," Victor said. "Please let me focus."

The teen crossed his arms over his chest. "You missed Quidditch practice today. Just like yesterday."

"I'm busy, Yura," Victor frowned, looking back to his books. "Ask Yuuko if you could play with the triplets, they'd love to have you be Keeper for them."

Yuri scowled. "I've already been to Ice Castle and back today. Thanks for noticing I was gone." Victor hardly heard him. "Ugh. I thought you were bad when Yuuri was around. This is just ridiculous."

"Did you come here for anything in particular?" Victor said, a little snappish.

"I just wanted to tell you that I was back, in case you were worried I fell off my broom and broke my neck while flying unsupervised. Apparently that is not a concern of yours." He started for the door of the bedroom, intent on going to the workroom to brew up something for Yuuko as a thank for you the free field time.

"Of course I'd care if you fell of your broom, Yura," Victor frowned, looking back up at him. Yuri watched as Victor's face changed, eyes brightening as clearly as if a light bulb had gone off behind them. " _Brooms_ ," he said.

"...What about them?" asked Yuri.

"We can fly on them," Victor said, sounding awestruck at the idea.

Yuri stared flatly at him. "Are you telling me you just grasped the concept of flying? You played Quidditch for seven years! You hold the record for the fastest catching of the snitch at Durmstrang!"

"Catching the snitch..." Victor's mind whirled a mile a minute, the first smile he'd had in days lighting up his face. "No, that's perfect," he said to himself, jumping to his feet. "I have to tell the Katsuki's." He hurried toward the door. "You're a genius, Yura!"

"You're an idiot!" he called back.

* * *

Yuuri was _tired_.

He'd never kept up his animagus transformation this long before. It had always been effortless to switch, and he'd fly for an hour or two with Vicchan or dive for fish with Azura. That had been easy. But he'd never kept it up for _days_.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been here, as he wasn't certain how long he'd been out due to them stunning him when he arrived, but he guessed this sun that was rising was bringing about day three.

Alice had been relentless for hours last night in her efforts to get into the stone room. She'd sent curses through the windows, magicked up multiple creatures to send in to distract him, and yet Yuuri had successfully kept her at bay. He was exhausted, hungry, and still uncomfortably cold, but he refused to so much as close his eyes for fear of Alice sneaking in and swiping one of the eggs.

In the dim dawn light Yuuri watched as pieces of one egg finally flaked off. After a night of shaking and cracking and tappity-tap-tapping, he heard the first faint chirp. Yuuri curled his tail around the eggs, leaning his long neck down to get a good look at the little snout pushing out of the small hole. Yuuri cooed in his best imitation of Azura's, encouraging the little dragon to keep fighting its way out. He could hear its tiny claws clicking on the eggshell, and it grunted and chirped as it tried to force more of it's snout out, slowly widening the hole until it's head popped out. A beautiful white Opaleye.

Yuuri's heart spiked at the sight, and he gently breathed a little steam to warm the baby up, as it appeared to be having second thoughts on leaving its cozy shell for the cold, damp room. Yuuri cooed again, itching to help it but keeping his distance, as Azura had never helped any other hatchlings out of their eggs. He pushed thoughts of encouragement and happiness at the little one. Soon he spotted its tiny claws on the holes edge, and it picked and pulled at the edges until they started to crumble away. Excited about the success, the little dragon picked up its pace, throwing its weight against the shell until it finally gave way, allowing the little dragon to tumble out onto the floor.

The baby hopped onto its feet, spinning around in an excited circle before looking up at Yuuri. It chirped happily and jumped several times, and Yuuri lowered his head enough to let the little one nuzzle against him. It was radiating excitement, surprise, and affection. Yuuri kept up a steady stream of heat, marveling over the newly hatched creature as it alternated between bumping its head affectionately against Yuuri's jaw and going to circle the other two eggs. Yuuri was happy to see the cracks progressing on the other quite nicely, and a few small ones starting to show on the third. They hadn't been sure if these were all taken from the same nest or three different, but Yuuri supposed they had their answer now.

* * *

After Victor's excited reveal of his plan to find Yuuri last night, they had agreed to wait until the first light of morning to set out. They would need the visibility.

He and the group were in the inn's front yard, Victor a little late due to checking on Yuri, making sure the teen was fast asleep in his room.

"Okay," he said, pulling out a piece of parchment. "It's simple enough. We all ready?"

They all nodded before hopping onto their brooms and kicking off. Victor followed suit, then held the parchment out on his palm, watching the paper fold itself into a bird. "This letter is for Yuuri," he said, and saw his handwriting scrawl out over a wing. "Tell him we're on our way." The bird flew a circle around Victor, but before it got far he flicked his wand at it. "Aresto Momentum." It slowed its speed significantly, and the four wizards flew after it. "No harder than chasing a snitch!" grinned Victor. He never lost a snitch.

"Yuuri's a few hours away, and that was when it was flying full speed," Mari reminded him. "You sure you can track it that long?"

"Positive," said Victor. "Though it probably wouldn't hurt if you all kept an eye on it too."

* * *

Alice had come by in the morning to attempt yet again to get in. She'd gone right for his eyes, but Yuuri managed to avoid another Conjuctivitis Curse by ducking, shielding his head with his wings, and pacing around the small room enough to keep his eyes out of her direct line of fire.

He ached everywhere. While his scales resisted most spell effects, he still felt the impact of the curses, like he'd been pelted with bludgers all night. He was so _tired_ , but adrenaline and concern for his three hatchlings prevented him from sleep.

After an hour of no sign of Alice, Yuuri took the chance to turn human. He'd had to endure hours of hungry cries from the little ones, and each was like a physical blow to his poor heart. "I know, I know," he whispered as he knelt down. "I know you're hungry, I'm sorry." The little dragons swarmed him, not at all perturbed by his new shape. They sniffed him curiously, licking his fingers and stepping on his lap. "Ouch!" he hissed quietly. "No biting while I'm human, okay?"

He conjured an apple and held it up, but was met with three identical looks of indifference. "Try it," he urged, trying to send feelings of encouragement their way. All he got in return was confusion and an overwhelming sensation of _feed me_.

Yuuri bit into the apple in hopes they'd grasp the concept, but it didn't seem to make any difference. "I know," he cooed, scooping one up in his free hand. "I know you're carnivores, but _please_. Eat it. I don't know how long we'll be here." He feared the little ones would starve if they didn't escape soon.

The cries grew louder, the nibbling more insistent. "Okay. Alright. I'll try," he said, setting the apple down. A white Opaleye immediately pushed its head into his palm, seeking attention. "It's like three little white Vicchans," he said, struggling to keep all three on his lap or in his arms. "I need a hand free though," he said, trying to keep one palm face up without a dragon immediately biting for it. "What do we want?" he asked. "Steak? Chicken?" He closed his eyes, trying to visualize something the dragons would eat. Something he knew like the back of his hand, easily called forth into existence.

He felt the cool wet texture of raw meat appear in his hand. He opened his eyes and smiled before holding it out for the hatchlings. "Pork cutlets?" They happily chirped and grabbed hold, playing a three way game of tug-of-war with the largest piece.

* * *

Yuri lurked near the side of the inn, watching Victor, the Katsuki's, a witch and two wizards he didn't recognize mount their brooms. He waited until the group was a good distance away before whispering a quiet, "Up" to his broom and mounting it. He kicked off and flew after them, the foul taste of his invisibility potion still in his mouth. He had another two vials in his pockets, just in case.

He'd overheard Victor and the Katsuki's last night talking about flying off to find Yuuri first thing in the morning. Well, if no one was going to bother telling him what was going on, he'd have to find out for himself. He'd spent half the night brewing this potion, thankful they'd touched on it in class this year. At the time it had seemed wildly inappropriate to teach third years such a thing - imagine the mayhem invisible thirteen year olds could cause! The excitement of the class had been diminished when they were informed the Durmstrang school had spells in place to detect invisibility, and any student caught abusing the potion would be swiftly caught and punished.

Victor had been so proud of the fact he was an excellent Seeker and flyer back in school. Well two could play at that game. Yuri was confident he could keep up with an old man like Victor. Otabek even tired before Yuri, and he was a professional player! He'd follow Victor and the Katsuki's and see what was really going on with Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the spells and such in here are canon with the exception of the ones in the first chapter. Originally I was going to make up my own stuff, but then quickly realized it was hard and JK Rowling already did it for me xD So I switched to all her spells. But I did want to mention that I came up with the paper bird charm on my own specifically for this tracking purpose! I have been waiting for it to be relevant this whole time xD
> 
> Also, I always check when spells are taught, and the difficulty of them. Not that anyone is policing me on accuracy here xD but if you were curious on the odds of Yuri knowing an invisibility spell, according to the wiki it is taught in their 3rd year of school. I thought for sure there was no way I would be lucky enough to have such an easy way for him to follow them, but there we go! I don't have to come up with a way for him to have somehow found an invisibility cloak or something xD


	13. Yuuri's Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor & Co. leave on a rescue mission! Yuuri does his best to keep the fact the eggs hatched a secret.

Yuuri knew he had to listen for Alice or Antonin approaching, but he tried to put some of his anxiety aside and focus on his hatchlings.

The three little dragons were pearly white, scales glittering in a rainbow of colors when the little light they had from the small windows managed to hit them. They were very energetic, thrilled to be out of their shells and in the world at last, tumbling over each other as they wrestled and played. Yuuri delighted in playing with them, dangling his tail over them and watching them jump to bite it or letting them run up his neck and slide down his sides.

He frequently hit them with a burst of steam, hyper aware they were supposed to be in a warm environment rather than this damp, cold room. They loved it, snapping at the steam and spinning in circles to make sure he didn't miss a single scale of theirs.

They were _constantly_ hungry.

It was dangerous to change so often, but Yuuri found himself returning to his human form more and more frequently, the hungry cries of the dragons too pitiful to ignore. "Shh," he cooed insistently, offering each another pork cutlet in the hopes it would quiet them. He wasn't sure if their captors were aware they eggs had hatched or not, and what they would do if they knew. It was impossible to explain the need for quiet to them, but he hoped if he kept them full and entertained they wouldn't cry too much.

Yuuri was currently leaning back against the stone wall furthest from the door. One dragon was laying between his spread legs, chomping on its latest portion of pork, while another was snoozing across Yuuri's lap. The third was in Yuuri's arms, almost purring as he stroked his fingers down its back. All three were radiating contentment and affection, unaware of the perilous situation they were in and just happy to be snuggled up with their dad.

It was dizzying to think about, but true nonetheless. Yuuri knew the first one they saw when they hatched was deemed a parent, which was why he always had Azura or Grace around when he had eggs. They were so good with newborns, always treating the little ones as if they had been their own, and Yuuri kept back a ways to ensure there was no confusion when the hatchling tumbled out of its egg looking for mom and dad. Now, though, there had been no other option but to assume that role. They had eagerly latched onto him, both as a human and dragon, and Yuuri wasn't that surprised to find it was mutual. Even having only known the creatures for a few hours, he found he was fully prepared to fight for them. They were darling, and helpless, and _his_. He wondered if some dragon instincts came with his animagus form, or if it was simply a decade of devotion to dragons that spurred such an intense protectiveness in him.

The one asleep on his lap sneezed, startling itself awake. The other two grew restless at the disturbance as well. "Are you cold?" Yuuri asked, sitting up straighter. "Let me set your sister down," he said, starting to put the one he was holding on the floor. She whined in protest and wriggled in his arms, attempting to climb up to his shoulders. "Shh, shh, shh," he said, prying her off and setting her down. "Just a minute, wait, wait, wait," he said, trying to keep them from piling onto him again. "Stay. _Stay_." They were just as abysmal at following commands as Vicchan had been at that age.

When he finally had them settled far enough away he was confident he wouldn't step on them, he resumed his dragon form. He carefully settled down, mindful not to step on any tiny toes as he did so, and used his tail to corral them all along his side. He warmed them up with a few bursts of steam before setting his chin down on his paws. He knew he couldn't sleep long, but he needed a few minutes of rest. It was at least two days since he'd gotten any proper sleep.

Yuuri wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but he actually felt somewhat alive and well when he blinked his eyes open. He immediately checked he had all three dragons, and yes, the three were curled up in a heap beside him, soaking in his body heat. Good.

"Yuuri?"

He sat up, moving so fast he startled the hatchlings awake. He could have sworn he heard his name. It had been quiet, but he was _sure_. Yuuri looked around, but they were alone. Alice and Antonin hadn't been back since early that morning, what Yuuri assumed was three or four hours ago. They didn't know his name anyway, and the three little ones obviously couldn't talk.

"Can you hear me?"

It was whispered, but it was Mari's voice, he was sure of it. He got to his feet, pacing in a circle even though the small room had no hiding places. He looked at the windows, too small to really see much from his angle. He grunted in frustration. Was he just losing it?

Yuuri looked back to the dragons, wanting to be careful as he settled his huge body back down beside them, when he noticed something glinting beside one of them. He leaned his long neck down to see one was clutching something in its little claws. His eyes widened as he realized it was his ruby pin.

In an instant he was human again, reaching down to pick up the dragon and pin, gently prying it from its clutches. "Where did you get this?" he asked. He had completely forgotten about it. It must have fallen off his robes when he wasn't paying attention, or maybe plucked off by one of the dragons who was mesmerized by its shiny look. He tapped the pin, asking, "Mari?"

"Yuuri!" came the relieved sound of his sister's voice. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, relatively, yes," he said. "I just found the pin. I can't talk long though. I don't know when they'll be back. How are you guys?"

"We're fine," she said, hurrying past that. "We're on our way. I don't know how long it'll be, but we're coming."

"How do you know where I am?" he asked, puzzled. "I don't even know where I am."

"We're following the paper bird. It should take us right to you. Do you have any idea what we're walking into?" she asked.

Yuuri frowned. "No, not really," he admitted. "I'm sorry. I can't see out the windows, they're too high up on the wall and too small to see much."

"Okay. Just hang in there. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Alright. I'm going to change back to a dragon now, and I don't want them to find the pin. I'll let you know if I need you." He clipped the pin to his robes before shifting back into a dragon. Yuuri looked down at the three dragons and tried to send reassuring thoughts of _help is on the way_. They chirped happily oblivious and began wrestling with each other.

Not long later he heard rustling at the door, and he let out a soft bark of warning at his hatchlings to settle down. All four of them looked at the door curiously, and Yuuri heard the low voice of Antonin. "You want something done right you have to do it yourself."

"It's not a damn pygmy puff, Antonin. It can put up one helluva fight. What do you think you're gonna be able to do that I couldn't, huh?" snapped Alice. The man huffed in annoyance and didn't answer her, just unlocked the door and opened it enough to stick his wand in. Yuuri growled, standing and positioning himself between the door and the dragons, pushing them into a corner with his tail.

With a flick of the wand a pinky, slimy tendril emerged from the wand tip, followed by a few more wiggling appendages, looking like a spindly, waterborne spider. Yuuri's eyes widened in surprise, immediately recognizing the creature from his textbook back home - a water born parasite. He crowded the dragons further into the corner, growling at the wand and baring his teeth. Antonin flicked the parasite off his wand in Yuuri's direction, and the dragon eyed it warily from where it writhed on the floor, inching its way toward Yuuri.

Yuuri tried a burst of steam, but it didn't appear to affect the parasite. He was reluctant to stomp on it, unsure if that would kill it or just give it easy access to him. He knew he had to keep it away from his eyes at all costs, and keep it away from the little ones entirely. It was hazardous to dragon health along with humans. Once infected, the venom would render him unconscious almost immediately if he returned to his normal human self.

Turning his back on it for just a moment, Yuuri leaned down to nose at the young dragons, urging them to climb up onto his head and neck so that he could keep them up off the floor away from the parasite. He had no idea if it would be attracted to Opaleye and he wasn't about to find out. It was still making its slow way toward them. He sent another burst of steam at it but it clung to the stones on the floor, fitting into the groves and shakily crawling one tendril at a time closer.

* * *

It had been _hours_. "How far are they flying?" growled Yuri to himself. Why didn't they just Apparate like normal people? No one flew this far on brooms if they could help it! He'd already had to use a second invisibility potion when he saw his hand flickering back into view an hour ago. At this rate he wouldn't have enough to hide the whole way home!

* * *

"Victor," called Minako. "Why don't you let Takeshi track the bird for a bit? You need to relax."

"I'm fine," he replied, eyes not leaving the paper bird.

There was some mumbled discussion behind him between Mari and Minako, and then Takeshi was flying ahead of Victor to be directly behind the paper bird. "Excu-"

" _Hey_ ," Mari said sternly, pulling up by his side. "Takeshi is just as skilled as you, okay? He and Yuuko were the best at Mahoutokoro, and would have probably gone pro if the triplets hadn't come along when they did. So trust him, okay? You need a break."

A young dark haired wizard appeared on his other side. "Although Yuuri will _love_ hearing how dedicated you've been to his rescue!"

Mari shot the young man a look. "Are you taking this seriously, Chulanont?"

"Of course I am!" Phichit assured her. "Very seriously. But you can't expect me to not have something to say about our shy Yuuri dating _Victor Nikiforov_ so quickly! I thought it would take much longer!" Mari gave him a quizzical look. 

Victor frowned. "I don't think he's that shy." A little timid sometimes, but more often than not Yuuri had sought him out after working at the onsen or training the dragons. Victor would look up and there he was, knocking on the door frame and offering to label potions or clean up the cutting boards.

Both of Phichit's hands left his broom to motion incredulously at Victor. "See?" he said to Mari, as if that proved his point. "What's been going on here? Yuuri could never get two words out to his crush."

"Well he didn't start out with a crush on Victor," Mari said. "In fact he didn't particularly like him at the beginning."

"He didn't?" asked Victor, face dropping at this revelation.

Mari sighed. "Don't take it personally Victor, he thought you wanted to slice and dice the dragons for your potions, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Yuuri had been rather icy at that point.

"I'm surprised you stuck around if your first impression was Protective Yuuri," Phichit added. "He'd do anything for his dragons."

"Including going and getting himself kidnapped," growled Mari.

"I _like_ that he is so protective of them," Victor pointed out. "Especially having met Vicchan now. Yuuri didn't know I wasn't a Tausch or Antonin type. I wouldn't have let me at them right away either."

Phichit grinned at this, then suddenly slowed his flight to wait for the other Katsuki's to catch up, settling into a pace beside Hiroko and immediately whispering with her.

Victor glanced back at him before looking over to Mari. "So that's Yuuri's best friend?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "They met at school. He just graduated this year. He was a few years younger than Yuuri."

"He looks a lot like the psychic that's always on Witch Weekly's cover."

"He _is_ the psychic that's always on their cover," Mari said. "How my brother surrounds himself with famous folk all of a sudden I don't understand."

"Wow." A thought occurred to Victor. "Did anyone ask him if he knows how this all ends?" asked Victor. "Does he know what we're about to encounter?"

Phichit flew up from beneath them, neither one having even noticed he was back by them until he almost cut them off. "Yeah it doesn't work that way," he said. "I didn't have time to do a proper reading and even if I did, there's no guarantee it would have given me specifics like what spells they know, what creatures they have..."

"But could you at least tell if we will be successful?" asked Victor.

"I don't need to be psychic to tell you we'll be successful," Phichit grinned. "Mama Katsuki won't let them keep Yuuri for long." Mari chuckled a little in agreement, and Victor smiled too. "It's gonna be seven against two, maybe a few more we don't know about."

"What do you need for a reading?"

"A crystal ball, tarot cards or tea leaves, none of which are accessible when flying. I can sometimes get a Vision, but I can't do that on demand very well yet." Phichit closed his eyes. "I'll see what I can See..." He frowned a little. After a few moments of trying he gave up and looked back at them. "Nothing helpful. Stone walls. Blue scales. Nothing we don't already know."

“Keep trying, Phichit,” Mari said. “It can’t hurt to get an inside scoop. We hopefully will be there soon.”

* * *

Backed into a corner and without many options, Yuuri chanced stepping on the pink parasite. It seemed to squish and stop moving, which was a relief.

“It didn’t like that at all, did it?” laughed Antonin. “Alright, how about a few more, eh?” Yuuri turned to whip his tail at the door to slam it closed, but the wizard had managed to flick several parasites onto the floor before it shut.

_Okay, just step on them carefully_ , he thought. As he watched their approach he was suddenly hit painfully on the jaw by a curse, and he let out a startled bark at the impact. One of his little ones slipped off his neck, thankfully not too high off the ground but hitting hard enough to cry. Yuuri quickly bent down to snatch her up carefully with his teeth to get her off the stone floor, stretching his long neck enough to set her on his back.

He turned to look for what hit him and spotted Alice at one of the windows, wand aimed at him and presumably trying for another Conjunctivitis Curse. Yuuri sent a burst of steam her way, making her dart out of sight momentarily, then raised his wings as best he could to keep his eyes out of her line of fire. He felt something slimy on his claw and looked to see one of the pink spidery parasites on his claw, and he frantically shook it off before stepping on it.

“Antonin, the eggs hatched!” Alice shouted, peeking in through the window again. “All white!”

“Damn,” Antonin cursed. “They would have been worth a lot more as eggs!” They could have upped the price with there still being a chance one could be black.

“They’re still cute!” she called, sending a few more curses at Yuuri before hiding behind the wall again. “They’ll make great pets for some rich kid. Accio hatchling!”

Yuuri’s heart stopped at the thought of one of his hatchlings being summoned that way, yanked at the speed of light out the window, but thankfully all three stayed on his shoulders.

“What are you doing?!” Antonin snapped at her, appearing at one of the windows on the opposite side of the room from her. “You can’t use that on living things!”

“Why not?” she asked. “They aren’t going far!”

“You could have killed it if that had worked! You know how much these things are worth, even white?”

Alice glared across the room at her brother. “How do you want to get them out then, huh? You aren’t doing any better than me!”

“Just keep at it, it’ll get tired eventually,” he said, and from the high window he flicked a few more parasites in, one landing on Yuuri’s back. The dragon quickly brushed it off with his tail, wincing as Alice’s _stupefy_ hit him in the neck, much too close to one of the hatchlings for his liking.

Yuuri knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. He couldn’t keep one eye on the parasites while also dodging spells from both sides and trying to keep the young dragons out of the crossfire. A particularly nasty curse hit his left flank, gouging his scales down to the flesh and leaving a vulnerable patch they would be sure to aim for.

After checking that one of the corners was parasite free, Yuuri encouraged the little ones to slide down his side back to the stone floor. He just needed a few minutes to be able to fight them off without worrying about the hatchlings slipping off or getting hit. When all three were down he turned to the window Alice kept appearing from and waited for her to reappear, snapping at her with his sharp teeth when he saw her.

“Holy shit!” she shrieked, leaping away. It had never tried to bite them before, even at Tausch’s place. Yuuri lunged for her again, slamming against the stone wall as he tried to reach his snout through the window to get her. “Antonin!” she called, darting away right before steam scorched where she’d been hovering.

She appeared by her brothers side, and Yuuri crossed the small room in a few steps to do the same to him, roaring out a warning before throwing himself against the wall, feeling it shudder. He had patiently waited for a chance to escape, hoping they would try to move him and he could take advantage of that, but he was through sitting quietly. He suspected if he really tried he could get one of these walls down eventually. Being unable to leave with eggs had been one thing, but the little ones could cling to him now, so he didn’t feel the need to sit and wait any longer.

* * *

Mari and Victor both sat upright on their brooms at the same time. “Did you hear that?” asked Victor.

“It was Yuuri!” Phichit said, flying past them to Takeshi’s side up ahead.

Mari raised her wand and pointed it at the bird, “Finite incantatem.” The slowing charm disappeared from the paper bird and it whizzed off at full speed, Victor and Takeshi both bolting after it like they would a golden snitch, the rest of the group racing after them.

* * *

Yuuri felt another curse cut through his scales, and he let out a pained roar before throwing himself one last time at one of the walls. He heard a satisfying cracking before it gave way, and he tumbled forward with the stones, expecting to land on grass but finding himself suddenly free falling. In a panic, it took him a moment to coordinate himself enough to open his wings, but before he fell too far he turned onto his belly, threw open his wings and glided back up to where he’d fallen from. He’d only had a moment to look around, but as he hurried back in to collect the three little dragons his mind was racing.

They were on a cliff side, high enough up he hadn’t heard any water crashing against rocks, but that was surely what he’d been falling toward. He suspected they were in the cellar of an old castle. He barked quickly at the hatchlings to climb onto him again, and they scrambled onto his shoulders again, crying quietly in fear from the noise and the stress radiating off Yuuri.

As Yuuri turned back to the opening he felt a painful shot to his flank, and immediately he felt his energy draining from him. He roared angrily and pushed through the growing fog, snarling when he heard another _stupefy_ from Alice and realized she’d gotten him again where his scales had been damaged. His vision swam, and he knew he was in no condition to fly.

He leaped out the hole he’d created and grabbed onto the side of the castle with all his claws. If he couldn’t fly, he figured his next best bet would be to get them away from the cliff side and back on solid ground. Yuuri curled his wings in around his body as best he could to shield himself and the hatchlings from any more spells. Each time he pulled himself up he felt his muscles weaken and sleep creep into his consciousness, but he stubbornly refused to succumb to the stunning spell.

As he neared what he hoped was the top of the castle, he felt an odd tickling sensation near one of his ears. He shook his head but it continued, and he thought nothing of it for a moment before he remembered the spidery parasites from inside. With a jolt he realized one must have crawled onto him along with the hatchlings, and he shook his head more frantically. He felt a wave of dizziness, and was torn on risking letting go to swipe at the parasite or keeping a firm hold onto the building to ensure he didn’t fall along with the Opaleyes.

* * *

Victor leaned forward, urging his broom to fly faster as the anguished cry of a dragon grew louder. His eyes were trained on the bird, never letting it out of his sight for a second.

“I see him!” Hiroko called, and Victor finally tore his gaze away to take in what else was before him. A crumbling castle set into a cliff loomed before them, and on its side was a blue dragon, claws buried deep into the stone as it thrashed its head about. Buzzing around him were two people on brooms, red and green sparks bursting from their wands.

“I got the witch!” Minako called. “You two get Yuuri.” Hiroko and Toshiya flew for the dragon while Minako aimed her wand at Alice.

“Dibs on the dude!” Phichit shouted, wand out and ready to stun Antonin.

* * *

Alice swerved to avoid a blast of steam, and was startled to feel a curse whiz past her in the process. She turned to see half a dozen witches and wizards approaching them. “Antonin, look!”

“What the-” He flew up, narrowly avoiding a spell, and Alice followed, darting for cover at the top of castle wall. “Where did they come from?!”

“ _Piertotum locomotor,_ ” she said, and all the decorative gargoyles and statues along the castle walls came to life. “Stop them!” she screeched, and despite being stone they took off easily into the air.

* * *

Hiroko and Toshiya flew to either side of their son, Hiroko swerving when Yuuri snapped at her. “Yuuri, it’s me,” she called softly. The dragon’s eyes looked partially glazed over, and she assumed it had snapped at any movement it made out. “It’s Mom and Dad.” Relief settled over it’s features, though it still couldn’t seem to focus on her. “We’ll get you home,” she assured him. She flew close enough to set a hand on his blue scales, but her attempt to Disapparate failed. “Toshiya,” she called over Yuuri’s massive blue body. “There’s an anti-Apparition spell.” She could feel Yuuri’s muscles straining, even beneath the scales. “We need to get him off this wall before he falls.”

“Levitate him,” Toshiya suggested. “I’ll help you. On three. One, two, three- _Wingardium Leviosa._ ” Yuuri had difficulty pulling his claws from the stone, so many of the stunning spells starting to seep in, leaving his muscles locked in place. With much effort he freed himself, letting his parents levitate him up the castle wall.

Meanwhile, Mari and Victor were chasing stone creatures through the air, smashing them with _reducto_ before they could interrupt Hiroko and Toshiya. Minako had landed on the wall and was slowly dueling Alice into a dead end, the poacher quickly realizing she was no match for such an experienced witch. In her moment of need her brother was nowhere to be seen.

“I lost him,” Phichit said to Takeshi, and the two circled above the chaos, dodging gargoyles. “I think he went in the castle.”

Takeshi frowned. “Do you think he’s running away? Should we follow or let him go?”

“I care more about getting Yuuri out of here than catching those two,” Phichit admitted. “Help Mari and Victor with the charmed statues and I’ll make sure he’s alright.” Takeshi nodded and they split up.

As Phichit approached, Hiroko and Toshiya were just getting Yuuri over the side of the wall to set him down, mindful of the many cuts they could see in his sides. The dragon was almost completely immobilized, panting hard from exhaustion and pain. “Finite incantatem,” said Phichit, and the stunning spells were vanquished. The dragon’s limbs immediately relaxed, and it let out a pained whine as it let its wings unfurl from their protective wrap around him. As the leathery wings fell to the stone, three little white heads popped up around his shoulders to look around, chirping in anxiousness at the unfamiliar surroundings and people.

“Oh!” gasped Hiroko. Yuuri tried to turn his head to look back at them, but even that was too strenuous for him now.

They were all rocked by a blast nearby, Antonin having sent _bombarda_ their way. “Found him,” Phichit growled, spotting a figure move away from a window up in one of the towers. “Up there!”

“That’s my dragon!” Antonin shouted.

“That’s my son!” Toshiya angrily corrected, sending a _bombarda_ of his own at the tower. “Phichit-”

“On it!” he called, and the two grabbed their brooms to take off and make sure Antonin was out of the picture.

Hiroko stayed behind, watching as Yuuri transformed back into a human, the little dragons swarming him immediately, cowering against him. “It’s okay,” she said, both to him and the three Opaleye peering up at her. She knelt at Yuuri’s side, looking worriedly at her son’s pale face, eyes still unable to focus on her.

“Mom,” he croaked weakly.

“Shh, it’s okay, we’ll get you all home,” she promised.

“Mom… Check them… _please…”_

Hiroko frowned. “Check them?” she asked, looking at the hatchlings. “Check them for what?”

“The parasite,” he said, forcing it out as he felt himself slipping away from consciousness. “It’s…poisonous…”

“Poisonous?” she repeated, watching Yuuri’s eyes close. She shook him, calling, “Yuuri? Yuuri?” When he didn’t respond, she looked up at the wizards flying above. “Victor! VICTOR!”

The wizard reduced the current gargoyle before him to dust before coming to land beside them. “Is he alright?” he asked.

“No, he said something about a poisonous parasite and then he stopped responding.”

“Poison?” he said, frowning worriedly. “I need to get him back to my workshop, I can make an antidote if we can figure out what it is.” He put a hand on Yuuri’s chest but failed to Disapparate. “I’ll fly him far enough away from the Apparition ban then take him home,” Victor decided. He moved to lift Yuuri into his arms but was bitten by three sets of tiny sharp teeth. “Ouch!” he cried in surprise, having been so focused on Yuuri he hadn’t noticed the three little dragons crouched in a pouncing position at his side. “I’m a friend,” he tried to explain, waving his arm to detach the fangs. “I’m not here to hurt him.”

A large blast went off in the tower above them, set off by Phichit or Antonin was anyone’s guess, but regardless of who cast it, large chucks of stone rained down. Victor didn’t even have time to grab his wand before a voice from nearby cried, “Immobulous!” Instantly the boulder sized pieces of stone froze, hanging in midair above Victor, Yuuri and Hiroko. Victor looked to Hiroko, but she looked as surprised as he, both of her hands still clinging to Yuuri.

“You _idiot!_ ” cried the same disembodied voice. “What are you doing sitting out in the open? Find a damn hiding place! Do I have to do everything?”

Victor blinked. He knew that angry voice. “Yura?” he asked in disbelief. He heard invisible feet stomp angrily toward him, then felt a fist grab hold of his shirt.

“Come on!”

Victor slipped one arm beneath Yuuri’s shoulders and the other under his knees, hoisting him into his arms as he stood. Hiroko gathered the three Opaleye into her arms, wincing as they nibbled at her in their distress, but not biting her anywhere near as hard as they had Victor. They ran until they found an alcove where they could come up with a plan out of sight. But first, “Yura, what are you doing here?!”

“Saving your ass, apparently,” snapped the teen. “And Yuuri’s and three _dragons_?” Victor stayed silent. “You have a lot of explaining to do when we get home.”

“So do you,” Victor frowned. “You aren’t supposed to even know about this.”

“Well it’s a good thing I do or you’d have been flattened a minute ago."

Victor frowned but had nothing to say to that. Instead he said, “Let's get out of here. Yakov and Nicolai will kill me if I leave you here much longer." 

“I’ll take the dragons,” he offered.

Hiroko shook her head. “I’ll take the dragons,” she said. She had more experience, and Yuuri had more or less left them in her care before he passed out. “You can keep an eye out for any more falling boulders,” she suggested, knowing Yuri would be restless without a task. “I’ll have my hands full with these three.” She wouldn’t be able to hold her wand and the hatchlings while also keeping balance on her broom.

“Accio brooms,” said Victor, and his and Hiroko’s forgotten brooms zoomed toward them. “Tell Mari the plan?” he asked Hiroko.

Hiroko nodded and touched the ruby broach on her robe. “Mari, Toshiya? Victor and I have Yuuri, we’ll take him home.”

“Phichit and I have one of them,” came Toshiya’s voice. “Minako has the other.”

“Bring him to me, Dad, I’ll meet you by Minako. We can take them to the Ministry,” said Mari.

“Is everyone alright?” asked Hiroko.

“Takeshi still has a few gargoyles to deal with. Phichit, could you help him with that?” asked Mari.

“He says yes,” Toshiya said. “I’ll meet you and Minako. Phichit will help Takeshi get out of here. Everyone meet back at the inn.”

With that done, they were ready to go. “Yura, stay close to me,” Victor instructed. It was unfortunate Victor couldn’t see him, as he had no way of knowing if Yuri was listening to him or not. “We shouldn’t have to fly terribly far before the Apparation ban is out of range.”

“How are you going to fly with Yuuri unconscious?” asked the disembodied voice of the teen.

Victor readjusted his hold on Yuuri, the two of them balanced precariously on his broom. Victor once again had one arm under his knees and the other supporting his back, Yuuri leaning limply against Victor’s chest. Years of Quidditch left him with enough balance to manage staying upright without gripping with his hands. “I’ll be fine,” he said, shifting a little in preparation of kicking off.

Hiroko took off first, hovering only a few feet off the ground, holding her broom with one hand while a dragon lay cuddled in her other arm. A second hatchling had crawled into her cloak, head peeking out of the neckline nervously, while the third was climbing curiously out onto her broom handle. “No, no,” she scolded softly, reaching forward for the dragon and pulling it back to her. “We don’t want you to fall. Stay right here,” and she set it in the crook of her arm beside the other little one.

Victor kicked off into the air, slowly rising and getting used to flying with Yuuri’s weight. “Alright, let’s go. Yura, you keep an eye out for anymore poachers. We don’t know if Alice and Antonin were the only ones hiding out around here.”

“I got it,” Yuri said, and Victor heard him glide by. Victor gained a little more height, picking up speed as he did so. He hoped they wouldn’t have to go too far. Within moments he heard quite a racket behind him, and turned to see the three little dragons were all watching him, crying out in distress as Yuuri grew further and further away from them.

“It’s alright,” Hiroko cooed, flying a little faster to keep up but very distracted by the three now wriggling and crawling over her. “Yuuri’s right there, it’s okay, we’re all going to the same place.” The hatchlings continued to cry, and the wizards figured there was little to be done but try to ignore it for now.

After only a few minutes Yuri had had enough. “Can’t you get them to be quiet?!” he groaned. A deafening roar was the reply. “What-?”

From within the forest they were flying over came a red dragon, roaring and flying right for Hiroko. She quickly rose, increasing her speed as she felt in her pockets for her wand. The hatchlings whined louder, scared and calling for Yuuri.

Unwilling to be caught wandless again, Victor had settled one within easy reach, and without risking his grip on Yuuri he grasped the wand and turned to Hiroko. With a flick a defensive spell surrounded her, and the dragon’s breath of flames was diverted around her. “Come to me!” he called, and they flew to hover by each other’s sides, “Yura?”

“I’m here,” he heard. “Where’d that thing come from?”

Victor looked to the wailing hatchlings. “I think it heard the little ones,” he said. Three humans flying off with young dragons probably didn’t look good. The dragon circled and flew back, screeching angrily and sending another burst of fire their way. Victor conjured up a shield of water with Aguamenti. “It makes sense Alice and Antonin would be camped out near dragons if they’re trying to catch them. Let me distract it while you two get out of here.”

“What about Yuuri?” asked Hiroko.

“Yeah,” said Yuri. “You can’t fight off a dragon one handed while making sure you don’t drop him!”

Victor was determined to do just that. “Fly ahead of me,” he said firmly. “There’s no time to argue.” The two looked set to argue, so Victor flew back a few yards, calling over his shoulder, “Go!” at them before facing the dragon. Casting a spell while holding Yuuri to him proved quite challenging, along with darting this way and that to avoid the snap of the dragons jaws or its flames. It was attempting to get past Victor and follow Hiroko and the cries of newly hatched dragons, but the wizard would cut it off, peppering it with the gentle sleep charm Mari had shown them but never hitting a spot vulnerable enough to strike true. Victor threw up shield after shield and startled it with fireworks via periculum. Victor kept an eye on Hiroko, watching her as she sped away. He would buy them a few more minutes, surely by then they’d be out of range of the anti-Apparation ban.

The red dragon flew for Victor, charging head first into another shield spell. It howled angrily as it was repelled, recovered quickly and struck again. Victor’s spell held up but began to crack under the pressure. He turned his broom and flew to put more distance between them. With another body slam the shield was broken and flickered out of existence. As Victor waved his wand to erect another one the dragon sent a fireball his way. He swerved to avoid it, losing his balance as he did due to being unfamiliar with Yuuri’s weight, and tipped off his broom. Victor hardly comprehended what had happened before instinct kicked in. His free hand grabbed his broom, his wand hand pointing at Yuuri, casting an Immobulous charm to stop Yuuri’s descent instantly. As they hung in the air, a roar drew Victor’s attention back to the dragon. It had flown in a loop and was heading their way again. Victor sent a flurry of spells at it, from sleeping charms to stupefy, not wanting to hurt the creature but also not wanting it to snatch Yuuri out of the sky either. A well aimed curse to its snout caused it to veer away, shaking its head and grumbling in annoyance. That was all Victor needed.

With a grunt he pulled himself back onto his broom and dove down to collect Yuuri from his suspension in the air. He quickly but carefully took hold of the man, then flew as fast as he could in the direction Hiroko had gone. He couldn’t see her anymore, meaning she’d hit the point she could Disapparate home. Victor didn’t chance looking back to see if they were being pursued. He sent a few shield spells over his shoulder as he raced away, trying every few seconds to Disapparate until he finally felt it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The water dragon parasite is shown in Fantastic Beasts 2 - remember that pink thing Newt pulled from Kama's eye? Yuck!! Poor Yuuri!! 
> 
> Next time: A lot of Victor and Yuri's questions get answered and some plot points get resolved. 
> 
> Any burning questions on your guys minds? I'd be curious to know if anything's been bugging you! :)


	14. Yuuri's Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor is coming to terms with all the new information he's learned over the past week. Yuri is experiencing the joy of dragons for the first time. Yuuri is battling the poison from the parasite.

Back at Yu-Topia, Hiroko had already set to work on Yuuri’s bed, pulling the sheets and comforter back so Victor could carefully set him down. “He’d said something about a parasite,” she reminded Victor. “He wanted me to check the little ones for it.”

“I think it’s safe to assume at least he has it,” Victor frowned. “It would be a good idea to check the dragons too.”

Hiroko nodded. “After we get him situated,” she said, knowing she wouldn’t be able to focus on the dragons if she was worried about her son. She glanced at the three white dragons at the foot of his bed, unwilling to venture far from Yuuri. “Yuri, could you keep an eye on them for us?” she asked. The teen, once again visible, nodded. He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to round them up.

Victor looked Yuuri over carefully. He was pale, sweating, and breathing shallowly. What skin was visible was bruised or cut, and their concern only worsened when Hiroko tugged the shirt off, several large gashes revealed on Yuuri’s sides.

“Oh dear,” she frowned.

“If you start on that, I’ll figure out the poison,” Victor offered, and she nodded. With a flick of her wand she began closing the wounds up, the areas still red and tender though no longer bleeding. Victor Disapparated into his workroom to grab a few books then returned to Yuuri’s side. He flipped through the parasite and poison indexes, searching for what he was looking for. “Hmm,” he frowned, looking up to Yuuri’s face. With two fingers he carefully opened one of Yuuri’s eyes, watching closely for a few moments before a pink tendril poked up from beneath his lower eyelid.

“Gross!” groaned Yuri, and Victor shot him an unimpressed look.

“Don't look, Yura,” Victor suggested, knowing this wasn't going to be pretty. “Hiroko, could you hold his shoulders for me? He might squirm a bit while I remove it.” She nodded and put one hand on each shoulder as Victor conjured a pair of tweezers. “Alright...” He was no expert on parasites, and certainly no doctor, but he was confident he could handle this. Victor gently held Yuuri's eyelids open with his left hand and lowered the tweezer with his right. Careful not to scratch his eye, he hovered until he saw the pink tendril float by and snatched it quickly with the tweezers.

Immediately Yuuri's body began to convulse, Hiroko holding his shoulders firmer to keep him still and Yuri grabbing his ankles. Yuuri groaned, and the three little dragons began squawking in distress as well. As Victor pulled on the parasite it slowly withdrew, clinging to Yuuri's eye, but Victor was persistent, tugging it carefully out until he was holding it in the air above him. Mindful not to drop it, he walked over a few steps to the dresser and picked up his wand, muttering a small _reducto_ and destroying the parasite.

“What was that thing?” Yuri asked.

“A water parasite,” Victor said. “My textbook references it and its affects on other marine life, but unfortunately doesn't have much in the way of dragons. It does state that they can be transmitted to humans, so I think our best bet is to treat it following those instructions.”

Hiroko nodded. “What do we need to do?”

“First, he'll need plenty of rest. Second, there's an antidote I need to brew, administered as eye drops, and we'll need to give it to him quite often. As soon as I have it done I'll bring it over, I'll go as fast as I can.”

“Victor,” Yuri said quickly before the older wizard Disapparated. “Can I – Can I help?”

Victor glanced at Hiroko, who offered, “I'll take the dragons.” She sat on the edge of the bed beside her son and Yuri slowly transferred them from his lap to hers.

Once Yuri was standing, Victor put a hand on his shoulder and took them to his workroom. He immediately pointed his wand at a cauldron to start it boiling and flicked it at the cutting boards to float down to the tables. “You can start on the dry ingredients,” he said.

Yuri nodded, going to sit at the bench and start chopping. After a few moments of tense silence, he asked, “Is Yuuri going to be okay?”

“Yes,” Victor answered quickly, a little too loudly. “He'll be fine.” Yuri was watching closely enough to see Victor's lip tremble slightly, his hand a little shaky as he measured the oils.

“...Yeah,” Yuri agreed, looking back down to the cutting board. “I mean he's got the world's greatest potion master working for him, so...I don't know why I even asked.” Victor was silent, so Yuri tried again to fill the void. “So...he's a dragon?” He expected him to simply say _Not now, Yura_ , and leave it at that. To his surprise, Victor managed a little laugh.

“He's an animagus,” he said. “I just found out the afternoon he was taken.”

“Who were those people?” Yuri asked. “Why'd they take him in the first place?”

Victor dropped another tablespoon of a green oil into the cauldron before setting down the bottle and measuring spoon. As he stirred with a wooden spoon he said, “They were dragon poachers. They mistook him for an actual dragon. But I should probably start with a slightly more simple revelation, such as _dragons exist_.”

“I figured that out on my own today, thanks,” Yuri said. “I saw Yuuri and the three little white ones.” Not to mention the angry red one that chased them. 

Victor nodded. “I know. But they're out there on a grander scale than you realize,” he said. “When Yuuri wakes up we'll talk to you about it together. But in a nutshell he and his family rescue and raise them, releasing them when possible. These two individuals we ran into today are only two of a large group of people who catch and sell dragons.”

Yuri frowned. “Why didn't I know about this before? Why doesn't anyone else know about this?”

Victor sighed. “It's a long story,” he said. “One we need Mari and Yuuri for. I promise we'll explain it when he's awake.”

“...is this what you three were always whispering about?” he asked, eyes widening as it dawned on him.

“Yes,” Victor said. “Mari, Yuuri and I have been working on getting eggs away from these criminals. Their mom and dad often came too. This last time we tried it on our own and it didn't go as smoothly.”

Yuri's mind was buzzing. “That's where you all would go while Minami and I watched the inn?” Victor nodded. “Why didn't you tell me?!”

“It wasn't my place to reveal this,” Victor said. “I promised the Katsuki's I wouldn't tell anyone about the dragons.”

“And all those stupidly long walks you two would take every night?”

Victor nodded again. “We were working with the dragons. I'm sorry Yura,” he said when he saw the teen turning red. “I would have told you if I could. I didn't like lying to you, but-”

“But you thought I'd hurt the dragons?” Yuri asked.

“Of course not!” Victor said. “But again, not my secret to tell. Secrecy was a condition of them letting me stay here.”

“Have you known the whole time you've been here? Is this the reason you came?”

“Yes,” Victor said. “I stumbled upon Yuuri and a dragon scale when I was here a few months ago shopping. When I found out he knew where dragons were I refused to leave until I saw one.” Victor thought this over, remembering the first time he'd met Yuuri. “I never got a chance to ask him why he had a scale on him that day.” At the time he hadn't really cared _why_ there was a dragon scale, just the fact that he'd somehow ended up with it.

“Don't make it sound like you won't ever get the chance,” Yuri frowned. “You can interrogate him all you want once you drop this gross green stuff in his eyes and wake him up.”

“Right,” Victor agreed, and went back to stirring slowly. “I'm ready for the dry ingredients, drop them in please. Slowly, slowly, yes, perfect.” He stirred a little faster, watching the roots and powders disintegrate. With the lull in conversation growing uncomfortable, Victor thought it was fair that he go first this time. “Is there anything else you want to ask me?”

“Where do I even start?” asked Yuri, rolling his eyes.

“Pick something. If I need Yuuri's help to answer I'll tell you.”

So many thoughts were buzzing around the teen's head it was difficult to know what he wanted answered first. Finally he decided on, “Did everybody know except me?”

“About the dragons, or Yuuri, or...?” asked Victor, not sure what he was referring to.

“Both,” said Yuri.

“No,” Victor said. “Like I said, I didn't know Yuuri was an animagus, I thought he was just very in tune with the dragons naturally. However, it was the opposite with his friends Yuuko and Takeshi. They own Ice Castle, and-”

“I know who Yuuko is,” Yuri said, though he hadn't ever met Takeshi.

“Well, she and her husband Takeshi knew about Yuuri's animagus form. When the Katsuki's and I were trying to figure out the best way to get Yuuri back, we thought we ought to recruit as much help as we could. His friend Phichit, who you saw today, knew about everything from Yuuri's school days. The Nishigori's only knew he was an animagus. According to Mari, Yuuri trusted them enough to share that with them years ago.” Mari had also mentioned that Yuuri had a bit of a crush on Yuuko when he was younger, and a full animagus transformation was a pretty good way to show off at fifteen. “We hoped that meant we could trust them with this too.

“It was a bit of a shock when we went to ask them for help,” Victor continued. “Mari didn't have a lot of time to explain, it basically went something like, 'Yuuri's stuck in his animagus form and has been taken by dragon poachers, by the way dragons exist, can you help us get him back?'” Being the exceptional friends they are, they agreed without question, opting to have Yuuko stay home with the girls while Takeshi joined the group. “We probably owe them a few explanations now too....”

“But what then?” asked Yuri, putting his hands on his hips angrily. Victor tilted his head in confusion. “You explain everything to them. You explain everything to me. What then? We just go back to normal?” Victor remained silent, looking like he hadn't expected that question. “I go back to potions on weekdays and Quidditch on the weekends like none of this ever happened? You guys continue to disappear every night? I don't think so. I'm coming with you.”

“That's up to the Katsuki's,” Victor said. “I can't agree to that. I don't even know where the dragons are.”

“What are you talking about? You go every day, don't you?”

“Yuuri transports us. I have no idea where they are.”

“Well he's telling us both,” Yuri decided. “Keeping me in the dark like this was not cool.”

Victor wanted to point out the many number of valid reasons why they hadn't let Yuri in on this before, but knew none of them would be satisfactory in Yuri's opinion. “I know, Yura,” he said. “I'm sorry.”

The potion's smoke turned to a lime green color, and Victor turned the flames down and grabbed a ladle. “Okay, it's just about done,” he said. “We need to let it cool first, of course, and then we can administer a drop or two to each of his eyes.”

* * *

For the next three days Yuuri remained unconscious, running a high fever and shifting restlessly in his sleep. They took turns at his side, rotating between Victor and each of the Katsuki's, dropping a few doses of the green eye drops every two hours.

While they waited for him to wake, Mari and her mother went to Ice Castle to apologize for springing this on the Nishigori's and were willing to answer their many questions now that time was not of the essence. Victor had another lengthy chat with Yuri, doing his best to explain what he'd learned over the past few months but knowing he needed Yuuri to help fill in a few holes.

It was currently Victor's turn to sit with Yuuri. He had a damp cloth with which he was trying to keep Yuuri cool, but within minutes of being set on Yuuri's forehead the cloth would go from icy to warm. Victor dutifully dipped it in ice water and replaced it however often it was necessary, wishing he had something else to do to keep his mind off the situation.

He was scared for Yuuri, though he refused to acknowledge it out loud. He assured the Katuski's that the potion would help, just give it time, but the textbook had in small print that while it was the best known course to take, some believe it was not an adequate, definite cure. When you also take into account that it was developed for strictly humans, and it wasn't known as a water _dragon_ parasite, but rather just an aquatic parasite, the people who came up with this really weren't planning on Yuuri's situation.

After setting the damp wash cloth on Yuuri's forehead once again, Victor took one of Yuuri's hands in both of his and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting Yuuri know he wasn't alone. “Please get better,” he said quietly. “I'll never forgive myself for being too late if you don't. For letting them take you in the first place.” He raised their joined hands enough to press a quick kiss to the back of Yuuri's.

There was a knock on the door, and he lowered their hands as he turned to glance at it. “Come in,” he called, and saw Yuuko peek her head in. “Hi,” he greeted. “Have a seat.” He motioned to the other banquet chair that had been set up beside him.

“Has he woken up yet?” she asked, quietly coming to Victor's side. “Any change?”

“No,” Victor said. “His temperature has gone down some, but it's still too high to be considered good news.” Yuuko nodded, and Victor was glad for a change in subject when she started talking about her girls, and how they were making Yuuri a few get well soon gifts. That lead to a conversation about their latest junior Quidditch league practice, and soon time had flown by and she was getting ready to leave.

“I just wanted to pop in and check on him,” she said. “Let me know if anything changes.”

“I will,” Victor promised, and as Yuuko stood he went to as well, wanting to walk her out and go see if Mari was ready for her turn. As he rose and started to gently shake his hand loose from Yuuri's, he felt a light grip, like Yuuri didn't want him to pull away yet. “Yuuri?” he asked, sitting back down. Yuuko came to look over his shoulder. “Are you awake?”

There was movement under his eyelids, more than he'd noticed all day. He gave Yuuri's hand another firm squeeze and continued calling his name every so often. It took several minutes before he felt another squeeze in return, and finally his call of “Yuuri?” was answered with a light groan.

Yuuri's eyes fluttered open, blinking in irritation at the bright light. “Victor?” he asked, recognizing the voice even before he could blink the haze away.

“Yes, Yuuri, Yuuko and I are both here,” he said, relieved to see him awake and speaking.

“Mmm,” Yuuri hummed, still foggy from sleep. “Where are the triplets?”

Victor and Yuuko shot each other surprised looks. “The girls are home with Takeshi,” Yuuko said.

Yuuri frowned. “No,” he mumbled. “ _My_ triplets.”

“Oh,” said Victor quickly. “Of course. They're right here, right beside you,” he said, motioning to the floor. A large dog bed was laid out for them, the three white Opaleye snoozing in a pile of limbs. “They're all fine. No parasite or infection.”

“Good,” Yuuri mumbled, yawning. “And Mom and Dad, and Mari?”

“Everybody's fine,” Victor assured him. “We're just all focused on you.”

“M'fine,” Yuuri said, eyes drooping shut. “Just tired. I haven't slept in days.”

Victor smiled lightly. “You've done nothing but sleep _for_ days,” he told him, and received a confused grunt in response. “You've been home for three days.”

“Really?” he asked, forcing his eyes open again to look at Victor.

“Yes really. And while I'm delighted to talk to you again, I think you need more sleep.” It was a relief to have spoken to him, Victor felt that showed progress, but it was clear Yuuri was still weak and exhausted.

“No, I...I'm fine,” he insisted.

Yuuko piped up with, “Why don't you eat something and then go back to sleep? I'll tell your mom you're awake and see if she could whip up some soup. I'll be right back.” She patted Victor's shoulder before turning around and leaving for the kitchen.

“Help me sit up, please,” Yuuri said, failing at getting his limbs coordinated enough to do it on his own. Victor helped him rearrange himself into a sitting position which hopefully would help prevent him from falling asleep before Yuuko returned with the soup. With all the moving around the three dozing Opaleye woke up, chirping excitedly and leaping up onto the bed, stepping all over Yuuri and eagerly seeking his attention. “Hi,” he cooed sleepily. “You three okay?” They were practically purring as he tried to pet them all at the same time.

“They're okay,” Victor assured him with a small smile. “Yura has been watching them. He's been a very attentive babysitter. I'm taking over while he has a quick lunch break, but he's definitely been enjoying playing with them.”

Yuuri nodded at Victor then looked back to the dragons, relaxing and letting himself pick up on their emotions. He felt relief and happiness, and maybe a little misguided annoyance, probably from being ignored for three days. He summoned up his best feelings of apology and affection and tried to push it back to them. “I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you alone. But you weren't _really_ alone, you had Yuri and Victor and Mom...”

Victor had seen Yuuri speak to Vicchan, and figured that by the age Vicchan was, he recognized key words and got the gist of what he was saying, like _fly_ and _play_ and _hungry?_ But these little dragons couldn't have learned English phrases in under a week. Right? “Can you...actually talk to them?”

Yuuri had one hatchling in each arm, the third on his chest nuzzling his chin. “Can you take her?” he asked, nodding to the one on top of him. Victor reached forward and scooped her up, the dragon protesting a little bit but quieting down when she realized she wasn't going far, just sitting beside Yuuri in Victor's lap. With less distraction, he thought over Victor's question. “It's not as black and white as I speak and they understand,” he started. “They don't hear the words I'm saying as much as they feel the emotion behind it.” Victor's brow furrowed a bit as he listened, trying to understand.

“Obviously they can't respond with words,” Yuuri continued. “When I'm close by I can sense what they're feeling. Anger, worry, excitement, hunger... sometimes more complex emotions if they're feeling it strong enough. I first felt it in waves back when we found the original three dragons. Verndari had just seen Mari Disapparate away with Vicchan, and Azura was already gone, and he understandably went ballistic. His anger and despair just about knocked me over.”

Victor looked at the little white dragon in his lap. She was kneading his thigh, curled up in his lap and purring. Victor suspected she was relieved to see and hear Yuuri up and talking, though he certainly didn't think he knew that indefinitely. “Why can't I sense that?” he asked. “I can guess she's happy, but I don't _feel_ it.”

“We've determined it's because I'm an animagus with a dragon form. I always had the potential to be one, I just had to drink the potion, so...I always had the ability? Even before I completed the animagus potion I could pick up on their strong feelings, and it only became easier once I was physically a dragon. ”

Speaking of that, “Why didn't you tell me you were an animagus earlier?” asked Victor.

Yuuri's cheeks turned pink, more so than they'd been due to the fever. “I...” He hadn't planned on having this conversation the moment he woke up, but of course Victor had already been waiting three days to ask. “I wanted to, several times, but...it's a very personal thing. And potentially dangerous. Look at what happened,” he pointed out. “People finding out and wanting to catch me was exactly what I wanted to avoid.” Though he'd imagined it would have been wizards wanting to study dragons and taking advantage of being able to study an animagus one rather than a wild one, with the hope Yuuri would be less hostile. He didn't expect to be mistaken for a real dragon and caught by poachers.

“But I'm not _people_ Yuuri, I'm me,” he said, sounding more hurt than angry. “I thought you trusted me now.”

“I _do_ ,” Yuuri assured him. “But that doesn't mean you have instant access to my entire life, does it? I don't know your life story,” he pointed out. Victor opened his mouth, maybe to offer to tell Yuuri anything he wanted to know, but Yuuri said, “Could we talk about this when I'm a little more awake?” He still felt pretty out of it.

“...Of course,” Victor said, looking a bit sheepish to have started down such an emotional road the moment Yuuri's eyes opened. “I'm sorry.”

Yuuko knocked a few moments later, letting herself in with a bowl of miso soup. “Here you go,” she said happily, setting it on the bedside table for him. “Hope you feel better Yuuri!”

“Thanks,” he said, reaching for it. They said their goodbyes and Yuuko left

Victor and Yuuri sat in companionable silence while he ate for a few minutes. Finally Victor spoke again, saying quietly, “I'm really glad you're alright, Yuuri. We were all really worried about you.”

“I was worried about you all too,” he admitted. “I knew Mari and Minako would come up with some crazy rescue attempt, and I wasn't sure what would be waiting.”

“Your mother and father were just as eager to get you back,” Victor said with a smile. “And Takeshi, and Phichit, and me... We all were ready to do anything to find you.”

Yuuri's eyes snapped up to meet Victor's, momentarily losing their sleepy haze. “Phichit? You've met Phichit?”

“Yes,” said Victor, unsure why that seemed so shocking. Though to be fair Yuuri hadn't been present when they recruited his best friend. “He's been staying at the inn while you've been alseep.”

“Oh no,” Yuuri mumbled quietly.

Victor tilted his head in confusion. Why did Yuuri sound so concerned? “We're getting to know each other pretty well,” he said, hoping that would cheer Yuuri up. “He's very easy to talk to.”

That only seemed to make things worse. “Oh no,” he groaned. Victor was doubly confused. They _were_ friends, right? Yuuri continued with, “I really wanted to supervise your guys' first meeting. Phichit has no filter and knows way too much...”

Perhaps that's why Victor enjoyed talking to him so much. He'd filled Victor in on plenty of stories from their Ilvermorny dorm days. “Well I'm glad he came,” Victor said. “I didn't want to risk being outnumbered again. I asked Mari to bring anyone she could.”

Yuuri was still worrying over what embarrassing things Phichit must have told Victor by now when he realized something else. “You said Takeshi?”

Victor nodded. “Yes. He and Yuuko have been brought up to speed on everything.”

“Wow,” Yuuri said, leaning back into his pillows with a sigh. “A lot's happened this week.”

One of Victor's hands reached forward to settle on one of Yuuri's, giving it a light squeeze. “Mhmm,” he agreed. “While I certainly wish we could have skipped a few parts in the middle there, I'm grateful for how it all ended. You back safe, the dragons all safe...” Yuuri may not be completely over the effects of the poison, but waking up must be a good sign.

Yuuri nodded. “I can't believe they hatched with only me there,” he said, looking at the one curled in his left arm. “I'm glad we got to them before they hatched at Tausch's place,” he added. “But I really expected them to hatch in the sanctuary with one of the dragons there.”

“Maybe it's early enough they could still bond with Azura,” Victor offered.

“No,” Yuuri frowned instantly, pulling the two he was holding closer to him automatically. At Victor's surprised look he relaxed again, looking a little embarrassed as he said, “Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. My head is, um... I don't really know how to explain it.”

“That's okay,” Victor said.

There was a quiet knock at the door, and they looked to see the three Katsuki's in the doorway. “Can we come in?” asked Toshiya.

“Of course,” Victor said, standing from the chair he'd been in beside Yuuri's bed. Victor was still learning how to hold wiggly dragons, and stepping a few paces away from Yuuri made her doubly fidgety.

Mari held out her hands for the dragon. “I'll take my niece if you need a break, Victor,” she offered. Victor handed her over while Yuuri groaned a quiet _Mari._ “What? We all know what you hatching them means.” Hiroko gently took one of the two from Yuuri, cradling it in one arm and dancing her fingers over it, the dragon snapping playfully at them.

Yuuri had neither the energy nor the inclination to argue. While part of him was worried they might have been better off with Azura present, any thoughts like that were quickly pushed away with an intense feeling of _mine_. He looked from the one he was still holding to the other two, then finally his family's faces. They all seemed relieved and happy, not the least bit unsettled with the situation. “Everyone's alright with this?” he asked.

Mari shot him an amused look. “After the past ten years, little brother, you having three dragon children really isn't the most shocking thing to happen.”

* * *

Yuuri hadn't lasted much longer with his whole family there, the effort to concentrate and talk to them all very draining, and soon he had drifted back to sleep. He stayed in bed for another day, waking up more and more frequently, and finally he was up and walking around on day five. Still a little pale, all signs of the fever were gone, and he didn't feel as bone deep exhausted as he had when he first woke up.

Though he was still a little unsure of how good an idea it was to let Victor and Phichit meet unsupervised, he had to admit to being both relieved and pleased to have been engulfed in a hug by his best friend when he'd popped in Yuuri's room and finally found him awake a few days ago. Now, here they all were, the large dining room closed for a private event to celebrate Yuuri's successful rescue and recovery. Four Katsukis, five Nishigori's, two Russians, Minako and Phichit were seated around several tables pushed together. Three little white dragons were hopping from chair to chair, perfecting the art of pouting and receiving pork cutlets for their efforts.

After dinner, the Nishigori girls chased the dragons around the room. They had been sat down by their parents and had explained to them that they could not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about the dragons. Because they had already spilled the beans on Victor's arrival, to ensure it didn't happen again accidentally, they had made a pinky promise with Yuuko that they would keep it secret. Yuuko had added in a little charm to the pinky promise that would gently guide them to change the subject if a conversation ever started to veer in this direction. She highly doubted dragons would ever come up in the first place, but they couldn't be too careful.

With most of the party focused on the cute dragons and kids playing, Yuuri quietly made his way over to Victor who was chatting with Yuri on one of the sofas. The two finished up their thoughts and turned to look at Yuuri. “Hey,” Yuuri said, putting a hand lightly on Victor's shoulder. “Could we go for a walk?” Yuri scoffed and rolled his eyes, now fully aware where the two would disappear to when ditching him for these 'walks' and irritated it was happening again already. “The _three_ of us,” Yuuri added.

Yuri looked surprised as Victor grinned and said, “Of course. Come on, Yura.” The two stood and followed Yuuri out of the dining room and toward the back door. “You can't ask where we're going,” he said, giving him the same rule Yuuri had set up with him at the beginning. “Yuuri takes us and that's that.”

“Yeah, whatever,” said Yuri, though he was still looking pleased to be finally included.

Yuuri bit his lip anxiously as they exited the inn. Now in the backyard, he said, “Actually...I did want to go for a walk.”

“...Oh!” said Victor in surprise. “Okay!” He was up for spending time with Yuuri in any capacity.

“Ugh, why am I coming on one of your stupid date nights then?” Yuri grouched. “I'd rather be playing with the dragons.”

“There's a lot we still need to talk about,” Yuuri said. “In the spirit of everything coming to light this week... There's something I want to show you both.” He slipped a hand into Victor's and gave it a light tug. “Follow me.” As they walked through the yard toward a little trail in the distance, Yuuri turned to Victor and said, “I know you've had some questions on your mind. Go ahead.”

“What's it like being a dragon?” Victor asked immediately, dying to know the details.

Yuuri laughed lightly. “I'm not a real one, you know. I can take the shape of one, but I don't instantly know everything they know.” Victor nodded in understanding and encouraged Yuuri to continue. “It's...incredible. Just being able to fly on my own is so freeing. And their strength... It may sound a little strange, but... If I ever feel my anxiety getting out of hand, shifting helps. Dragons are _almost_ invincible.” Clearly they had their weak points, as evidenced by the past week's events. “The size and strength and protective scales really helps to ground me when it feels like the world is caving in.”

“I think you're a pretty strong human, too,” Victor smiled. Yuuri shrugged, ears a little pink.

Yuri, not wanting this to devolve into a sappy compliment competition, asked, “So when you're a dragon do you talk to them? Is there like a secret dragon language or something?”

“Not... _really_ ,” Yuuri said, thinking over how to explain it. “They can communicate, but...it's not like having a conversation as we know it.” He bit his lip in thought, and they walked quietly for a few moments as he figured out what to say. He glanced at Victor. “Have you told Yuri about the other dragons yet?”

“Yes,” Victor said. “We've talked a little about them.”

“Okay. Well. If Azura wanted to go swimming, she wouldn't just look at Verndari and say, as we would, 'I'll be right back, I'm going swimming.' She'd get his attention, either by nudging him or calling for him, and once he was paying attention she'd look at the lake. He would probably feel a wave of desire from her, and grasp that she's letting him know she wants to be in the water. His grunt would have a hint of indifference, and she'd know he meant 'Thanks but no thanks.' It takes some getting used to, because you could accidentally interpret that as he's not interested in _her_ , but you learn to read the situation. I think it's a little different for me, because I'm used to how we talk. I usually feel the need to voice what I mean, and the emotions come with it." 

Yuuri thought about how it had been in the cell last week. "I did notice something new. I had never been a dragon for such a long time before, and...how my thoughts were structured started to change." 

"What do you mean?" asked Victor. 

"Well...I was aware of who I was. Katsuki Yuuri, 21 years old, human. But that didn't matter as much right then? And the first time I overheard Alice and Antonin talking, I knew it was important to listen and understand so I could figure out how to get out with the eggs. But soon it was this weird feeling of understanding what I was hearing but feeling detached from it? Then after the eggs hatched they were the only things that mattered. I was aware I was a human. I was aware I had no part in creating these eggs. And yet I knew the second I saw them they were mine." Yuuri turned a little pink. "We already know the hatchlings identify the first person they see as a parent. I don't think anyone knows that intense bond is mutual. How _could_ anyone know that, right? Until a dragon animagus happens to be around hatching dragon eggs? And I'm sure it's an instinct of dragon's that comes with the form, but...it hasn't really faded?" Even as a human he still felt protective of the little Opaleye. 

Victor looked fascinated while Yuri looked annoyed. “So there's no dragon language," is all he heard, ignoring the rest of that. "Just sensations. And only you can do it?” he asked grumpily. “That sucks.”

“Yura,” Victor scolded while Yuuri stuttered out an, “Ah, er...well...”

“I'm just saying it's not cool that he's the only one who can interact with them. And the little ones are only going to want him? What are we all doing here then?”

Victor opened his mouth to scold him again for the attitude but Yuuri tugged on his hand gently to get his attention and shook his head. “While not _exactly_ the same, with enough time and effort, anyone can start to read them. My family doesn't experience the same emotional signals I do, but they all can tell how a dragon's feeling by it's expression, body language, sounds... Even Victor.” He turned to the man walking beside him. “You do so well with Vicchan already.”

Victor's smile was heart shaped as he beamed with pride. “Yes!” he agreed, turning to Yuri. “With enough practice you'll get the hang of it.” He hadn't known Yuuri had that ability this whole time, and had assumed enough exposure to the dragons made him so knowledgeable. Looking back, the other Katsuki's were almost equally well versed in working with the creatures, giving Victor hope he too could be that fluent in their non-verbal communication eventually. Yuri just had to see it to understand fully.

“Whatever,” he grumbled, though Victor suspected he felt a little better with the knowledge he could learn this too. “Where are we even going?” They'd been walking with no direction for almost ten minutes!

“We're almost there,” Yuuri said. “We just need to get around the bend up there.” He motioned ahead, and eager to put some space between himself and the couple, Yuri picked up his pace and stomped ahead.

“Do we have a destination?” asked Victor. “I thought we were just walking to chat privately for a bit.”

“I did want privacy,” Yuuri agreed. “But I did also want to show you something, remember?” He took a breath to steady himself, then let it out in a quiet sigh. “To be honest I'm a little unsure of your reaction.” Victor looked shocked by this, wondering what on earth could make Yuuri worry over something like that. As if Victor hadn't handled multiple surprises this week rather well already. “I want you to know where the dragons are.”

Victor was stunned but delighted. Why would Yuuri worry about that? “Really?” he beamed. “That's fantastic! I'm so honored!”

Yuuri smiled back at him. “You've proven yourself time and time again,” he said. “You've met all my conditions, respected the boundaries, you're kind with all the dragons... You helped save so many eggs and also helped to save me and my...triplets.” He still had trouble voicing words like _children_ , still a bit dazed by everything that happened, though he expected he'd have a Verndari level meltdown all the same if anyone tried to take the three Opaleye from him again. “The least I can do is share their location with you.”

“You don't owe me anything, Yuuri,” Victor insisted. “I did all of that because I wanted to. Not because I expected anything from you.”

“I know,” Yuuri said. “But I want to give this to you. I want you to have access to the sanctuary. Partly in case something happens to me again, but also just because I know you'll love it.” Yuuri's cheeks were tinged pink at this admission, but he'd been honest so he refused to feel embarrassed.

If possible, Victor's heart shaped smile grew larger. He felt so utterly overwhelmed by the openness Yuuri was displaying that was quite uncharacteristic of him. “Yuuri-”

“I just ask that you not be too angry when you learn where it is.”

Victor hardly had time to blink before Yuri was calling from around the bend, “Is this it?!” Victor and Yuuri looked in the direction of his voice. “We walked all this way for an empty field?!”

Only a few yards away themselves, Victor and Yuuri picked up their pace. It took a second for it to click into place, Yuuri realizing the moment it did when he felt Victor tense up, the other wizard whispering an incredulous, “ _Field_?” under his breath. He ran the last few yards, dragging Yuuri along behind him as he skidded around the bend and came to a stop.

Before them was an empty field, trees lining the far side of it, though some seemed to have seen better days, either wilted or charred. There was a very familiar looking hot spring nestled to one side, and a cave off to the other side. “But...but this is...?” He looked at Yuuri with wide eyes.

“An empty fucking field,” growled Yuri. “What gives?”

Yuuri snapped his fingers, and in an instant the quiet field burst to life. Azura was lounging in her pool, tail flicking little splashes at her mate who was trying to nap on the grass beside her. Vicchan was in the sky, flying low over Moonstruck who was running after him, sending blue flames in his direction whenever she got close, Opal hot on her heels and roaring playfully at Vicchan.

“What the-” gasped Yuri.

Victor was struck silent for a moment, mind trying to comprehend what he was seeing. The field they'd always gone to... He looked to Yuuri. “We can walk here?!” Yuuri nervously nodded, not sure if Victor was about to explode with questions about why Yuuri didn't mention this sooner. “It's been this close this whole time?!” He nodded again. “...This is amazing!”

Yuuri blinked. “...What?” he asked, not receiving the response he'd feared.

“We can come whenever we want!” Victor enthused, walking toward the field and once again towing Yuuri limply along behind him. “Yura, you don't even have to wait until you're sixteen to Apparate!”

“So you just have dragons in your backyard and no one notices this?!” Yuri fumed, stomping after them. Perhaps he was embarrassed _he_ hadn't noticed this in the weeks he'd been here.

“It's enchanted,” Yuuri explained, still amazed Victor didn't seem angry. “I lifted the charm that makes you hear buzzing when you get too close.” He knew they'd be talking and hadn't wanted that to interfere. He would put it back before they left. “But it's sound proofed, and there are multiple alarms, and other protective spells. We didn't want anyone getting in or any dragons getting out. Also, we have the Fidelius Charm in place.”

Victor stopped his excited walk to look back at Yuuri. “The Fidelius Charm?” he asked.

Yuri crossed his arms over his chest. “What is that?” he asked, unhappy he didn't know why Victor looked so thoughtful all of a sudden.

“It's a very powerful charm that embeds a secret into the very soul of it's Secret Keeper,” said Victor, still looking at Yuuri with wide eyes. “Once the Secret Keeper is told, the original person cannot pass on the information again.”

Yuuri nodded. “My mother is my Secret Keeper,” Yuuri said. “Only she can reveal the location of the dragons, and she's only ever told Phichit, with my permission. I cannot speak or write down directions to this location. I can, however, physically walk you over here and let you past the enchantments.” It was a loophole he hadn't ever expected to exploit.

“Is that why you didn't tell me?” asked Victor. “You couldn't?”

Yuuri nodded. “I'm sorry. There were a few times I almost had us walk home, but...I was worried you'd be upset I waited so long to tell you. And then it became even longer...”

Victor squeezed his hand. “Hey,” he said gently. “Take a deep breath. I understand. I wish I'd known earlier, but I also wish I'd known about dragons existing earlier. I wish I _met you_ earlier. I can want things to be different without being mad about it.” Yuuri's shoulders drooped in relief. “But if the field is this close, where is the sanctuary?”

Yuuri opened his mouth but nothing came out. Apparently revealing this much did not prevent the charm from keeping the rest a secret. “Let's go for a walk,” he said instead.

Victor was vibrating in excitement. “We can walk to the sanctuary too?!”

Yuuri nodded with a smile and lead the way to the caves. He whistled for Vicchan, the dragon not even noticing his arrival since he was distracted by playing, and the brown dragon flew right for him, dropping to the grass and nuzzling against Yuuri with a happy rumble. “Yuri, this is my very first dragon, Victor. Or Vicchan, as we call him.”

“Oh my god his name is Victor? Ugh.” Despite trying to look annoyed, Yuri was first in line to pat the dragon. They continued to the caves, Vicchan trotting happily beside them, curious about this new little human Yuuri and Victor brought.

They reached the caves, and Victor realized that he'd never given them much thought. He assumed the dragons were brought from a secluded location to this other secluded location, and never really questioned it beyond that. As they made their way through the main cavern and down a tunnel that revealed a staircase, his mind was starting to comprehend how much he'd been wrong.

At the base of the stairs the three stopped, Yuuri watching the other two take in the huge scene before them. Over a dozen dragons roamed between the four climate controlled habitats. Some were sleeping, some were flying, others roamed around in search of a little snack. Vicchan spotted a Common Welsh Green he was friendly with and trotted off to play.

Victor was fairly certain his heart was about to give out. He'd never imagined he'd see so many dragons in his lifetime, never mind all in one place! Some looked tranquil and beautiful while a few looked downright terrifying, but all seemed content to mind their own business and do their own thing. After gazing at the dragons for a while, his eyes noticed the stark change in desert sand to grassy plain. That wasn't normal. “How does that... How did you find this place?”

“We built it,” Yuuri said simply, as if that was the easiest question he'd been thrown all night.

“What?” gasped Yuri and Victor together.

“My family and I,” Yuuri said. “We designed it back when I was in school. We needed a place for Vicchan, Azura and Verndari to go when it was too cold for the field. They were going to need more than just the caves. Vicchan's a growing male, he's going to push the boundaries with Verndari sooner or later. We can't have them cooped up together all the time.” At the incredulous looks of the Russians, he continued with, “We also knew we wanted to help more dragons and we couldn't do that without more space.”

“I still can't believe you all created this,” Victor said. “It's beautiful.”

“My mom did most of the designing and Mari and Dad did most of the building, so I'll tell them you approve,” Yuuri grinned. “I was in school for most of it, but I did help with the lake. I've always been pretty good with water. I'm not sure if it's because my animagus is a water dragon, or if my animagus is a water dragon _because_ I'm good with water...”

They stayed for almost an hour, Yuuri giving them a brief tour of each habitat. It would take all day to see everything, but he gave them the highlights, pointing out the names of any dragon they saw and either telling them what species it was or asking Victor for his best guess. Neither Yuri nor Victor were in any hurry to leave, but soon Yuuri was admitting to feeling tired, still not 100% back to normal, and they agreed to head back to the inn. They went back up the staircase, through the caves and out into the field.

“Can we walk back?” Victor asked Yuuri. “Just you and me?”

“What am I supposed to do?” Yuri frowned.

“I'll help you,” Victor offered, and the teen crossed his arms and rolled his eyes but didn't protest. Victor pulled his wand out and gave it a quick flick and Yuri was gone. Turning back to Yuuri, he offered his arm rather than his hand, and Yuuri shyly hooked one of his through it.

As they made their way across the field toward the trail home, Victor gave Yuuri's arm a light squeeze with his. “I really am glad you're home safe,” he said. Yuuri smiled and hummed in agreement. “I was worried I wouldn't be able to take you out on that date we talked about.”

Caught off guard, Yuuri turned a bit to look at Victor in surprise. “What date?”

Victor clutched at his heart dramatically. “Don't tell me you've forgotten, Yuuri! You agreed to go on a date with me!”

“I remember!” Yuuri insisted. “I just didn't realize you had a specific date in mind!” Had Victor mentioned wanting to go somewhere or do something?

“No specific idea,” Victor agreed. “But something that's just you and me.”

“Just you and me?” asked Yuuri. “If that's all we need to meet the criteria, wouldn't that mean we're on a date right now?”

Victor grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes, though he was smiling too. “It'll be an awfully short one if we're just walking home.”

Victor slowed to a stop, turning to face Yuuri. “Then how about a short one tonight, and a long one tomorrow?” he asked.

“...Okay,” said Yuuri, a little surprised by the determined look in Victor's features all of a sudden. “If two days in a row isn't too much.”

“It isn't too much,” Victor assured him. A little quieter he added fondly, “It may not be enough.”

“What do you mean?”

Victor steeled himself for the following. “Yuuri, I know we've only known each other a few months, but I need you to know how much you mean to me. While you were gone I didn't just feel guilty-”

“You had nothing to feel guilty for,” Yuuri tried to say, but Victor continued.

“I felt...terrified. At the thought of something happening to you, at the thought of never seeing you again... Never getting a chance to stand here and fumble through this confession.”

Yuuri chuckled, relieved at a chance to release some tension. “I think you're doing pretty well so far.”

“That's good to hear,” he laughed. Emboldened, Victor raised a hand to one of Yuuri's cheeks, delighted to see the other man lean into the touch. “I just knew I needed to say something as soon as you were home safe. I couldn't let it go unsaid any longer.”

“I'm glad,” Yuuri said. “I...I feel the same way.” Victor was incredibly important to him, but he hadn't known when or how to express it. Their conversation over faux love potions at Ice Castle hadn't really covered it. Victor, while having hoped for this outcome, looked like he was still marveling over how lucky he was to have these feelings returned. Yuuri noticed the man's gaze dropping from his eyes to his lips and back, and an excited tingle ran through Yuuri at the thought. When Victor continued to hesitate, Yuuri shyly tried to help with, “So, is this when you kiss me, or...?”

Victor laughed, amusement mixed with anticipation before he dipped down to press his lips against Yuuri's. It was tentative at first, and over far too quickly for either of their liking. They pulled back to look at each other, as if to gauge that this was really what the other wanted. Both seemed to get the answer they wanted, and with matching grins leaned in for another, deeper kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I was trying very hard to wrap everything up in this chapter, but it appears we need one more! If you're thinking how the heck can we resolve the ministry stuff in one chapter, well my friend, it turns out this is going to be a 2 part deal. I was not planning on that, but I have a lot more to cover and I feel like this is kind of a good place to pause. (Victor's seen his dragons and the sanctuary, Yuri finally is in the loop, Yuuri had his wild adventure and returned safely.) Work has been nuts, this week alone I had three shifts of 7a-10p. We have hired a new manager so that will be very helpful, but right now he knows nothing and I have to train him xD So after next week's update, I am going to take a bit of a break to give the storyline some serious thought and also sleep a ton! I won't keep you waiting long, maybe a month? I just need some time to get my thoughts together and also relax because COVID has ruined everything at work lol


	15. Sweep You Off Your Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Phichit prediction proven to be accurate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bonus to make you smile on Monday :)

Victor and Yuuri weren’t sure how long it had been since they’d sent Yuri on ahead of them, both being thoroughly distracted by the other. Now they were once again making their way back to the inn, arm in arm and occasionally giggling, giddy delight finally allowed to bubble over after the stress of the past week.

In the backyard Yuuri slowed to a stop, Victor following suit, and before they were back inside surrounded by the prying eyes of friends and family, Yuuri leaned up for another quick kiss. Victor happily returned it, pulling his arm free of Yuuri’s to instead wrap both around his waist, humming happily at the fact that he could do this now, whenever he wanted. Yuuri was home safe and sound, and to Victor’s delight he was just as eager to be held close.

Yuuri pulled back to loop his arms around Victor’s neck, pressing their foreheads together lightly with a smile. “I can’t believe how fast this all happened,” he chuckled. “I gained a boyfriend and three little dragons in one week.”

“You’ve had me for much longer than a week,” Victor grinned. He’d been rather smitten from the start, to be honest. Yuuri turned a little pink and Victor playfully kissed his nose.

“Somehow Phichit was right again,” Yuuri said. At Victor’s curious look he explained, “I had asked him if he could See any reason why I shouldn’t introduce you to the dragons. He was very adamant it was a good idea, and even said,” and here he blushed a little more, “’Your passion sparks a love affair.’”

Victor’s eyes widened, laughing. “Yuuri! You knew we’d end up together and didn’t say anything? How cruel!”

“It wasn’t guaranteed!” Yuuri said in his defense, not mentioning how crazy he thought it had been at the time. “Phichit’s been wrong before!”

“Excuse me?” came an offended voice from nearby. The couple turned to see Phichit and Hiroko at the back door of the inn. Perhaps not _all_ prying eyes were inside after all. “Name one time I was wrong!”

Yuuri dropped his arms from Victor’s neck, spinning to face them fully while Victor opted to only keep one arm around Yuuri’s waist. “ _Peach_!” he hissed. “What are you doing there?” He glanced to his mother.

Hiroko stepped past Phichit to come out a few steps into the yard. “We were coming to see if you were alright,” she said. “Yuri has been home for almost an hour, and you were supposed to be right behind him.” Maybe they were still a little skittish from having Yuuri ripped away from them before, but after giving them more than enough time to walk home she’d felt too antsy to sit and wait much longer. “We didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“But now that we have!” grinned Phichit, hopping after her. “I would like to point out I was right on all counts! I called you guys having kids together!”

Yuuri wasn’t sure he could turn a darker red. “I did not have – the dragons were not in your prediction! No one saw that coming, not even you! You know as well as I do that your ‘new arrival’ Sight was Yuri!”

“Wait, what happened?” asked Victor, not following this at all.

Yuuri huffed out a flustered breath. “Like I said before, after you arrived I asked Phichit if he could do a quick reading for me. Just to settle my nerves. We didn’t know each other well yet, and I needed a little reassurance I was doing the right thing for the dragons. Phichit threw in some extra insight.”

“But Yuuri,” Hiroko said gently. “That wasn’t the first time Phichit Saw Victor in a reading.”

Yuuri blinked. “…Huh?” he asked. What did she mean? That had been the first time he and Phichit had spoken since the school year ended.

* * *

Thursday Morning, Early May, The Day Victor Collided With Yuuri

Phichit Apparated in the inn’s dining room. “Hi Mrs. Katsuki!” he beamed. “Is Yuuri around?”

“I think he’s out with Vicchan in the yard. Would you like me to call him?” she asked, reaching for her ruby broach.

“No, that’s okay,” he said. “I was just popping in to see if he’d seen this.” He held up the latest copy of Witch Weekly, his own face smiling out at them from behind a crystal ball. “Front page again!”

“Oh, how lovely!” Hiroko cooed. “You’re doing so well. I can’t believe you graduated this year…” Mari and Yuuri had both been out of school for years now, and Hiroko had taken to doting on Phichit, her unofficial last child in school.

Phichit beamed. “Now that I’m finally done with school, I can focus on perfecting my craft.” He was already considered highly skilled, but Phichit wouldn’t rest until he was best in the world! “Speaking of which, I also came to see if I could get some more of those tea leaves you sell? I don’t know why but yours work _so_ much better than anything I get around school.”

“Of course,” Hiroko smiled. “Just let me get these dishes cleaned up.” Phichit happily helped her pick up the last of the breakfast dishes in the dining room and take them to the kitchen, then followed her to the storeroom where she kept her cart of ingredients. “How much would you like?” she asked, then weighed out what he was looking for.

As they walked back to the kitchen Hiroko asked, “How’s your boyfriend?”

Phichit’s face twitched a little. “Eh, it didn’t really work out…” he said. “Turns out he really can’t stand Divination.” Phichit frequently would warn him of trouble around the corner, to expect some good news today, or to avoid the color yellow at all costs. “Apparently I take all the mystery out of life.”

Hiroko frowned. “I don’t think so,” she assured him. “I always enjoy piecing together what your predictions are telling me.” Phichit’s smile grew a little at that. “Why don’t we do one now?” she suggested.

Phichit looked surprised but pleased. “Oh, I don’t want to get in the way, I know you’re working.”

“Nonsense,” Hiroko insisted. “The dishes can wait. Let’s go to the table.” She steered the young wizard to the family dining room, already cleaned after their early morning breakfast. Phichit was already shuffling his cards in his hands, never one to deny a chance for a reading.

“What are we looking for?” he mumbled, cutting the deck. “Business doing okay?”

“The inn’s been better,” Hiroko admitted. “But don’t worry yourself about that. Let’s do something more exciting. What about your future now that you’re out of school?”

Phichit laughed. “I don’t need to read that, I already know I’m destined for greatness.” His eyes sparkled. “Let’s do Yuuri!”

Hiroko perked up. “Alright,” she agreed. “He’s been a little self conscious about his teaching, although he always gets excellent feedback from the Headmaster. Maybe you can See something that will encourage him.”

Phichit nodded and flipped over a card. “Oh. That’s unexpected.”

“What?” asked Hiroko. “Is it something bad?” Instantly she was worrying about staff cuts and Yuuri being the first to be let go due to seniority. He _had_ been saying class sizes were getting smaller lately.

“Not at all!” Phichit assured her, smile growing after the initial shock fell away. “This is great!” He flipped another card, smile turning into an all out grin. At the third he just laughed out, “Yuuri would never believe this.”

“What?” asked Hiroko again.

“Okay,” Phichit said, trying to get himself under control and summoning his best Seeing voice. With an over dramatic wave of his hands over the cards, he said, “ _I See a handsome stranger from a foreign land coming to sweep Yuuri off his feet_.” Hiroko looked shocked at the drastic change in subject, but delighted all the same. “ _Suspicion hangs heavy in the air._ Well that’s no surprise, Yuuri never believed anyone at school liked him.” Hiroko shushed him and urged him to continue reading. _“Worlds collide. Thrown together, a misunderstanding demands they clash and repel each other._ ” At Hiroko’s concerned look Phichit quickly added, “Don’t worry, look at the second card.” He pointed at the Ten of Pentacles. Without the dramatic showmanship he explained, “This card shows that there is a secure future with your partner and that you may have found your soulmate. Most people find it comforting, and it helps them not to worry about the relationship they are in since it shows a strong love between two people.”

Hiroko beamed. “Oh!” she cooed. A rocky start, but overall happiness. “How wonderful for him! Any idea when he’ll meet them?”

Phichit looked over the cards again, grasping for details. “No, not really any clue to when,” he said.

“I hope it’s soon,” she said happily.

* * *

Thursday Afternoon

Hiroko was still thinking about Phichit’s prediction while she set up and ran her cart in Hasetsu’s square. She wondered if she should tell Yuuri, maybe knowing would help him keep an eye out for attempts at sweeping him off his feet. Her son tended to be oblivious when men and women showed interest in him. Hiroko had even tried setting the hopeful young men up with Yuuri herself, but Yuuri was always convinced his mother talked them into it rather than it being their genuine interest.

She was happy to see one of her favorite regulars appear. “Master Nikiforov, how lovely to see you!”

“Hello,” he grinned. “It’s been a while.”

As he perused her powders, leaves and vials, Hiroko considered calling Yuuri to come help her. Nikiforov was always kind and friendly, and she’d tried to manage to have Yuuri at the stall numerous times when he was here but the timing never quite worked out. Normally by the time Yuuri showed up the man was gone, or he popped in for a specific item and left before she had the chance.

It was just her luck that Yuuri had been helping for the past hour, and only just ran off for Ice Castle a few minutes ago.

“Yuuri,” she said quietly into the broach. “Are you still nearby? Master Nikiforov is here, I’d love for you to meet him.”

Yuuri’s voice floated out in response, “I just got to Ice Castle, Mom. Yuuko needs me to watch the girls while she teaches a flying class.”

Hiroko sighed in defeat. “Alright dear. Have fun.” After helping a few other customers, Nikiforov was paying for his sizable haul, overpaying as usual. “Oh! I just remembered!” she gasped, looking for the doxy venom Yuuri had brought from the States. She knew he would appreciate it.

* * *

Friday Evening

Hiroko glanced at the time on the square’s clocktower. She would give it another half hour or so then start heading home, Toshiya would be wanting help with the dinner rush.

“Hiroko!” called a familiar voice, and she looked up in surprise.

“Master Nikiforov!” she called happily. “What brings you back so soon?”

“I need another dozen or so squill bulbs. I’m afraid my last potion didn’t turn out quite right.”

“That’s unusual for you,” she said, starting to bag some up for him. “Such a pity you had to come all this way just for these.”

“It’s alright, I was here anyway. I bumped into someone yesterday and was hoping to see them again.”

“Oh?” Hiroko asked, perking up. Bumped into? Maybe…collided? “Wouldn’t have been a beautiful young woman that caught your eye, would it?” she asked, telling herself that just because he checked the boxes for ‘handsome man’ and ‘from a foreign country’, she shouldn’t try to read too much into ‘bumped into.’ It was a figure of speech. It was a bit of a reach.

“Actually it was a man.”

…She couldn’t help it. Now he really had her attention. “And what does this beautiful stranger look like?”

The man looked a little flustered. “I didn’t say he was beautiful. Although, now that you mention it, I suppose he was. But that’s not the point. He’s about this tall,” he motioned, “dark hair, I think maybe black, and he looked young. Probably around twenty or so? Maybe a little older. Nothing remarkable about his clothes unfortunately, just a black cloak. Well, actually, now that I think about it, there may have been an Ilvermorny patch on the front.”

An eager hopefulness bubbled up in her, and Hiroko looked unreasonably thrilled with this news. “Master Nikiforov, I might actually know who you’re looking for,” she grinned.

* * *

Hiroko had called for Yuuri to join them and was listening intently as they talked, brimming with delight when Nikiforov said, “Yesterday I teleported into Hasetsu’s main square, and you bowled right into me. That was you, wasn’t it?” She would have to let Phichit know his description of swept off his feet had been literal.

* * *

Yuuri had been less than pleased after she’d invited Victor to stay at the inn. “What are you doing? He can’t stay here! He shouldn’t be here, how does he even know we have an inn?”

“I walked with him from the town square, he was looking for a place to stay.” Her son groaned. “Victor is a kind man, I’ve known him for years. I think once you relax and get to know him you’ll like him.”

“I’m sure he’s great. And I understand that you’ve known him for a while and are comfortable around him, but you’re forgetting one key thing. _Dragons._ He’s after them.”

“I won’t say anything on the topic,” Hiroko promised. “I don’t take the Fidelius Charm lightly.” She would never put her son or their dragons in danger knowingly, but if Victor really was the one Phichit predicted, if he was meant to be with Yuuri surely that meant the dragons too?

“I know you don’t. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do in this situation.”

“Try talking to him,” Hiroko said. “Just one conversation. If you sense any red flags we’ll have him check out first thing in the morning.”

* * *

Saturday Morning

This hadn’t exactly gone as smoothly as she’d hoped.

That morning Yuuri had stomped into the kitchen and demanded Victor check out. Apparently after a rather pleasant dinner in her opinion the two men had argued when they were alone. She couldn’t quite get the whole story out of Yuuri, who was too irritated to give any details and just reminded her that she’d agreed to have him leave first thing.

Hiroko was starting to doubt her assumption of Yuuri’s foretold love when an utterly forlorn Russian plopped himself down in the dining room. “Victor, good morning! Did you sleep well?” She grabbed a plate and headed his way, determined to get the full story out of him.

“Not really,” he said. “Your beds are lovely! I just couldn’t sleep because – I was just up thinking, is all!”

She set the tray down before him and patted his cheek. “Yuuri told me you argued. I’m sorry it didn’t go well for you two.” She’d been so _sure_ Phichit had meant Victor. It was a perfect match!

“I ruined everything!” he moaned, and continued on to explain what had happened.

Hiroko listened closely, sensing Victor’s sincerity and believing that Yuuri had jumped to conclusions and misunderstood Victor’s intentions.

Wait! _Thrown together, a misunderstanding demands they clash and repel each other._ Of course! She’d been too focused on the first half. Hiroko sighed. It was just like Yuuri to chase off something good for him, his protectiveness and nerves drove so many away.

“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. I want to help!” Victor was saying.

“I know, Vicchan,” she said, patting his hand affectionately. “Dont worry. It’ll all work out.” She’d make sure of it.

“I hope so,” he said sadly. “What time is checkout?”

She patted his hand again before getting to her feet. “Don’t pack up just yet.”

* * *

Hiroko found Yuuri in the kitchen, reminding him that while Victor _did_ use some animal ingredients in his potions, he wasn’t that different from her. She also sold bat wings, dried beetles and other items like that. Victor was no monster for it, he was like any other potion brewer. That didn’t mean he wanted to dissect the dragons the moment he found them. “Isn’t it possible Victor could be telling the truth?” she asked. “Victor told me he only meant he’d be interested in the scales that shed. He has no intention of harvesting any organs or anything you’re worried about. Why not give him a chance to prove himself?”

“…Fine,” Yuuri sighed. “Maybe I jumped to conclusions too quickly.” Hiroko beamed. “You’re oddly insistent when it comes to him.”

She just continued smiling, waving him off. “He’s a kind man. You’ll like him when you get to know him better.”

“So you said.” Yuuri gave her one more curious look before pushing the door open and going to look for Victor.

* * *

Wednesday Morning

Hiroko was eating her lunch on the porch when she heard a muffled “Mrs. Katsuki!” from her pocket. She pulled out her two-way mirror and was surprised to see Phichit grinning back at her.

“Hello,” she smiled. “Are you looking for Yuuri?” He often left his mirror in his bedside drawer for days. It was one of the reasons they relied so heavily on their pins. Both siblings were abysmal at carrying their mirrors, Hiroko and Toshiya finally had to pin a communicator to their robes.

“I just talked to him!” Phichit said, grin growing. “ _Victor Nikiforov?_ ” He felt enough was said.

Hiroko beamed back. “Yes! Don’t you think it fits? Their meeting had everything you Saw!”

“I Saw more than their meeting in my crystal ball just now,” he snickered. “I’m always right. I don’t know why Yuuri ever doubts me. I’m literally always right. And he said he ran into him Thursday? I predicted it the _day_ it happened. How more spot on could I possibly be?”

“I’m just so happy for them,” Hiroko cooed.

“Should we say something?” Phichit asked. “You know how oblivious Yuuri can be.”

Hiroko thought it over. “It might make him nervous,” she decided. “Let’s give it some time. If they’re meant to be there’s nothing to worry about.”

Phichit nodded. “My lips are zipped. But damn. _Victor Nikiforov_? Even I didn’t See that coming.”

* * *

Mid June

Yuri was practically growling. “At least let me come with you and talk strategy or something. You’ve barely helped me with Quidditch so far.”

“No, Yura,” Victor said. “We will practice tomorrow.”

“If it’s not a date then I can come along.” Victor huffed, grabbed Yuuri’s hand and Disapparated them away.

“Hmm,” hummed Hiroko pleasantly. “Must be a date after all then.”

* * *

Early July

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that Mari heard from Charlie just now. He’s fairly certain he’s found Tausch’s new home.”

“That’s great,” Yuuri said. “We were just wondering when we could go. Victor’s a little impatient when it comes to dragons.”

Hiroko nodded. “I wish he were a little _more_ impatient in other areas,” she said quietly. Her future son-in-law sure was taking his time.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Yuuri.

Hiroko chuckled. “Nothing.”

“ _Mom_.”

Her cheeks turned a light pink. “Just curious,” she started. “Has he asked you on a date yet?”

“Huh?!” he coughed. _“_ _Mom_ _!_ No! …And what do you mean by ‘yet’?” he asked. “Does this have something to do with Yuri’s constant comments on why Victor and I spend so much time together? You know I’m taking him to see Vicchan and the others.”

“Yes, yes, the dragons, yes,” Hiroko agreed. “Of course that’s it.”

* * *

Present Day

Yuuri’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “What!” he shrieked. “You both knew the whole time?!” How embarrassing!

Victor, on the other hand, looked thrilled. He wrapped both arms around Yuuri, squeezing him tight as he beamed, “Destined to be together! How romantic!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you on Thursday! :)


	16. Life, Love & Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri bond with the dragons while considering the best way to raise them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you notice the chapter count, we still aren't done. I tried! I really did! But I still didn't get everything for part one in here, so I guess we gotta do one more ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

The morning after his recovery celebration Yuuri was woken up by a little white dragon pouncing on his feet. “Ouch,” he mumbled, not awake enough yet to even yell. “What was that for-” He paused, realizing he had no way of addressing the dragon. His irritation died down quickly as he reached down to scoop her up. “Hey,” he said softly. “It's been a week and you don't have a name yet.” The dragon chirped, happy to receive the attention it had been seeking. Yuuri looked at the other two down on the dog bed, both heads perked up now that they'd heard his voice, and he knew it wasn't long before all three were stepping on him.

Yuuri sat up against the headboard, holding the little Opaleye under its front arms up at eye level, receiving a lick on his nose for his efforts. “Hey there,” he said again, catching the dragons eye and feeling another burst of affection. “What's your name?”

* * *

Later that morning Victor and the Katsuki's were sitting around the table eating breakfast. Yuuri nudged Victor lightly with his elbow. “Would you come with me to the sanctuary today?” he asked. “I want to take the triplets to meet Vicchan, Azura and Verndari.”

Victor grinned. “I'd love to!”

Yuuri smiled back. “Great. But first...” He glanced around the table at the rest of his family. “I think I've settled on their names.”

Hiroko gasped an excited, “Oh!”

As usual since he awoke from his fever, where he went, so too did the dragons. The three were curled around his feet and his chair, and he leaned down to pat them to get their attention. Immediately they hopped to their feet, wiggling in excitement, and when he patted his lap they each fought to be the first up. One climbed his shirt to settle on his shoulders, curled around his neck like a scarf and blinking curiously at the rest of the family from the safety of her perch. The second was content in his offered lap, while the third curled up in his left arm. In that order he tapped each one gently with his free hand, saying, “Hisa, Ai, and Kou.” Life, love, and happiness.

Hiroko just about melted while Toshiya filled Victor in on the meaning of the names, and soon the Russian was cooing just as happily, making grabby hands at the dragons and delighted when Hisa jumped from Yuuri's shoulders into his arms. “That's so sweet!” he said. “I love the names! Such pretty names for such pretty girls, isn't that right, Hisa?” The dragon chirped excitedly, soaking in the joy in Victor's tone.

Yuuri's cheeks were pink, but he looked pleased that his family seemed to accept the names. He had thought they would be quite fitting. He'd chosen Verndari and Victor based on the situation surrounding them when they'd met, Verndari protecting his family and Victor being the reason his parents had fought for their freedom. He wanted to do something similar for the girls, and knew the trio were bound to change his life in all the best ways, giving it new meaning and filling it with an abundance of love and happiness.

* * *

Mari asked to join them in the sanctuary for the hatchlings first time, and Yuuri had to admit it was probably best to even the ratio of dragons to humans. They each carried one through the yard, down the trail and to the field, unsure how Apparating such young dragons would go. They had done so when it was their only option bringing them here from the castle they'd hatched in, but Yuuri wanted to ease them into Apparating regularly when they were a little older.

They had been indoors the whole week they'd been in Hasetsu, either curled up in the dog bed or following Yuuri around the inn. He hadn't taken them to the field with Victor and Yuri last night, wanting to be able to focus on the conversation. Now, the dragons were clearly overwhelmed with curiosity, trying to wiggle out of their hands to run through the grass.

“No, no, Kou,” Yuuri gently scolded, catching the dragon by the middle after she'd attempted to leap to the ground. “Not here.” While there were general protection spells in place around the inn, the backyard and trail weren't as heavily guarded as the field with the caves. Perhaps that should be updated soon. “You can run around all you want when we get you home.”

Victor, currently hugging Ai close to his chest, asked, “Isn't the inn home?”

“Well, for now, yes,” Yuuri agreed. “But my room won't hold them for long. One dragon would outgrow it by the time they were six months old, never mind _three_.” Vicchan had been the size of a horse at six months. No way could Yuuri's bedroom fit them all for long.

“But they're babies,” cooed Mari, uncharacteristically soft. “We can't leave them in the sanctuary alone.”

“I'm not going to,” Yuuri assured her, just as unhappy with that idea as she was. “But they should go everyday to get used to it. Eventually they'll outgrow the house. They're barely two weeks old now, but what about when they're two months?” Dragons grew _fast_.

A lightbulb seemed to go off in Mari's mind. “Yuuri,” she started. “When they're two months...you'll be back at Ilvermorny.”

Yuuri froze midstep. Victor could see the color in his cheeks pale slightly. “I...” Yuuri looked at the dragon in his arms, still wiggling for freedom as she gazed longingly at grass for the first time. “I can't... Mari, I couldn't just...”

“Why don't we talk about it later?” Victor suggested, risking holding Ai with one arm so he could wrap his other around Yuuri's waist. “Right now let's focus on the present. Vicchan will be so happy to meet your girls!” Victor encouraged Yuuri to resume walking, keeping a tight, comforting hold on him as they headed for the field.

Being such a beautiful day, they weren't surprised to see all three dragons out from the cave. Azura and Verndari were napping in the shade of the trees while Vicchan was flying, diving and swooping with ease.

When the wizards arrived, Yuuri whistled to get his attention and Vicchan immediately flew for him. Once landed, he padded over and quickly noticed the three Opaleye in their arms. His eyes lit up, always happy to meet new dragons, and his tail swished happily behind him.

“Hi Vicchan,” Yuuri greeted, reaching a hand out to pat his snout. “I have something to share with you. Well, some _one's_ to share with you.” He carefully held Kou under her front legs and held her up before him, watching Vicchan look her over curiously and ready to pull her back if the larger dragon got too close. Sometimes Vicchan forgot his size and thought he was still a lap dragon. “This is Kou.”

Kou's little heart was racing. The only dragon the triplets had seen was Yuuri, and he felt her feeling a mix of excited and anxious. Over the past week and a half they'd been surrounded by humans and had gotten used to Yuuri being one as well. Yuuri pushed waves of reassurance toward her, summoning all the affection and trust he had in Vicchan and hoping she and her sisters felt and understood it.

Meanwhile, Vicchan was inching closer, sniffing her curiously and looking from her to the other two. “This is Hisa,” Yuuri continued, pointing to the one Mari was holding. “And Ai.” The large brown dragon's tail swished faster. Yuuri wasn't sure if Vicchan understood that these three were different than any other hatchling Yuuri brought back. He held Kou a little tighter, thinking of how he'd felt watching them hatch, curling up with them for the first time, and dangling his tail for them to play with. The protectiveness and possessiveness that had boiled up in him whenever Alice and Antonin got too close. How happy and content he felt falling asleep with them draped over him in his tiny twin bed.

Vicchan perked up, looking over his shoulder to Azura and Verndari, then back at Yuuri and the Opaleye. “Yes,” Yuuri laughed. “Exactly.” He felt Vicchan's astonishment turn to something closer to joy, and suddenly the dragon was racing for his parents. “I think he's going to tell them the good news.”

The three wizards walked after him, and by the time they caught up Azura and Verndari had been woken up, blinking sleepily and rumbling at Vicchan in annoyance. Azura stretched her large leathery wings before turning to give Yuuri her attention, eyes zeroing in on the white dragons immediately. Yuuri usually came to her with the young dragons he rescued, so she probably assumed she was to foster these too. “Don't worry, you don't have to take these three in,” Yuuri assured her. “These girls are mine.”

After a few minutes of letting them all look and sniff, Yuuri carefully set Kou down on the grass. She instantly raced forward, all previous fear gone, and leaped on Vicchan's side, tiny claws catching on his scales and helping her to skitter up to his back. “Kou! Get down!” He'd expected her to approach one of the dragons, but didn't think she'd go straight to climbing them. Vicchan didn't seem to mind, moving to lay in the grass and look over his shoulder, watching her step carefully across his large back and slide down his tail.

Of course her sisters had to try, it was only fair, and it wasn't long before they wiggled out of Victor and Mari's grasp and joined her. Yuuri supposed he should have seen it coming, really, as they had loved doing that at the castle when he was in dragon form. He just fretted a bit more when he wasn't the large beast his babies were climbing. He knew Vicchan wouldn't hurt them intentionally, but what if he rolled over suddenly or-

“Hey,” Victor said quietly, putting an arm around Yuuri's waist and giving him a light squeeze. “I can feel you panicking already. Vicchan will be careful. But if you want I can levitate them back over here.”

Yuuri was grateful for the comforting touch, leaning into Victor's space. He reminded himself that these dragons frequently raised hatchlings from day one whenever Yuuri brought eggs back to the sanctuary. “I...I know they're fine. I just...I can't help but worry. They're so small...”

“It's your job to worry,” Victor smiled. “And it's my job to reassure you.”

Yuuri sighed fondly, and even with Mari nearby, he couldn't help leaning up to give Victor a quick kiss. “Thanks.” Yuuri looked back to the dragons to see Vicchan looking curiously at him. He no doubt felt the waves of affection from Yuuri as he pressed against Victor just now, and Yuuri sensed another spike of realization from Vicchan as he looked from the couple to his own parents curled up together.

“Oh, um,” Yuuri started. If Yuuri was reading this correctly Vicchan was now under the impression Yuuri and Victor were mates the same as Azura and Verndari. This probably lead to him concluding Victor was also responsible for the appearance of Yuuri's Opaleye. Was there any way to correct Vicchan on this?

...Did Yuuri even want to?

“What?” asked Victor.

Yuuri's cheeks grew a dark red. “Nothing,” he said, deciding that even if he was kind of privately pleased with Vicchan's conclusion, he wasn't ready to admit that to Victor yet. “Vicchan's just really excited to have cousins.”

* * *

After an hour of letting the original dragon trio interact with the new trio, Yuuri was rounding up the Opaleye. They each carried one dragon again, heading up to the field with Vicchan following after. Yuuri had Hisa in his arms, her front claws on his shoulder, looking over Yuuri's shoulder at the large dragon and chirping happily, Vicchan answering her with light rumbles.

When they reached the field they found Yuri waiting with his broom, one hand on his hip as he glared at them. “You're late.”

“I'm sorry,” Yuuri said as Victor replied, “No we aren't, Yura. You're just early.”

Yuuri set Hisa on the grass, and as soon as her sisters joined her on the ground they tackled and rolled each other playfully. He pulled his wand out from his robe and with a swish Victor's broom materialized in his free hand. He handed it over with a smile. “Have fun.”

“You too!” Victor beamed, pressing a quick kiss to Yuuri's cheek as he grabbed the broom. “Now, Yura, before I summon the snitch, let's work on your speed.”

Yuri groaned. “I'm fast enough,” he insisted. “Why can't we ever just start with the snitch?!”

Victor and Yuri kicked off the ground into the sky, Mari Disapparated back to the inn, and Yuuri whistled for the girls attention, leading them over to the side of the field by the trees. They trotted after him, darting between his legs at times and nearly tripping him. “Vicchan,” he added, “Come on.” When he reached the trees he sat down against one of the trunks, settling into the grass. The Opaleye sniffed curiously at the trees, biting at the bark and trying to pick it off before getting distracted by a bee buzzing by. To Vicchan he said, “You help me keep an eye on them, okay?” Vicchan leaned his head down for scratches, and Yuuri happily obliged. “I trust you to be careful with them.”

With a light snort of smoke, Vicchan went to plop himself down in the grass a little way from Yuuri, keeping a watchful eye on the little dragons running about. Now and then Yuuri glanced up to the two wizards racing above on brooms, Quidditch practice in full swing. He smiled. When Victor had originally asked if Yuuri knew a place to practice, he had wanted to bring them here. It was conveniently close to home, private and spacious, he just hadn't been sure he could keep Yuri from spotting a dragon. Yuuri never would have guessed in such a short time they'd all be here after all.

Yuri had reacted about as well as they could have hoped. Better, even, because while he'd raged at being kept in the dark for quite a bit, he hadn't been that emotional about the dragons. He'd seen them, he'd _saved_ them, and he babysat them without much more than a bit of sarcasm. Yuuri was fairly certain the teen was fond of them already, because despite the quips of ' _First I'm your free front desk agent, now I'm your live in nanny_?' he'd refused to hand the dragons over when Yuuri offered to ask his mother for help instead. Yuri had stomped off with all three hanging out of his arms while Yuuri took a much needed power nap.

Yuuri glanced back up to see Victor had released the snitch after thirty minutes of warm up exercises. Yuuri whistled for the girls again who promptly ignored him in favor of climbing Vicchan's wings. He sighed. How long had it taken Vicchan to reliably answer his whistles again? “Ai, Kou, Hisa, come here,” he called, and that at least got them to look at him. “Come here,” he tried again, patting his lap, and they slid down Vicchan's side and ran to him. “Alright,” he said, once Vicchan was clear of them. “Vicchan,” and he whistled for the dragon to take flight.

Vicchan hopped to his feet, stretched out his wings, and leaped into the air, hovering a few yards above the grass. Yuuri whistled for him to fly higher, to circle the field. “Go distract Yuri!” he called, and while Vicchan didn't understand the command entirely, he barked gleefully and flew for the Russians.

It wasn't long before Yuuri heard an annoyed, “What the-?!” as Vicchan swooped past Yuri.

Victor laughed. “Remember, there are plenty of distractions on the field!”

“There won't be a damn dragon on the school Quidditch pitch, Victor!”

“Pretend it's the other team!” he grinned, shooting an amused look down at Yuuri below. Yuuri waved and smiled back.

Yuri soon fell into a groove, dodging the excited dragon who was clearly thrilled to have someone to fly with for once. Yuri zoomed after the snitch, Vicchan often darting after him, wondering what prey the human was hunting, sometimes deciding to go loop around Victor.

After another thirty minutes Yuuri was happy to see them coming down to land. He was getting hungry and he could tell the triplets were too, their play more and more commonly being interrupted by tiny whines.

The ground trembled a bit as Vicchan landed beside them. Yuuri got to his feet, patting the dragon's snout affectionately as he asked, “Did you have fun playing Quidditch?”

“Dragon's don't play Quidditch!” Yuri growled. “What gives with releasing the lizard like that?”

Yuuri patted Vicchan a few more times. “Oh? So you'd rather practice at Ice Castle without him?”

Yuri frowned. “No,” he said, following it up with, “This is closer so I don't have to waste time walking into town, or rely on this idiot to Apparate me.” He shot a glare at Victor, unwilling to leave him out of this.

Yuuri just chuckled. He was pretty sure the teen enjoyed flying with Vicchan. He was about to tease him again when he received a particularly fierce nibble. “Ow,” he groaned. “Ai... what was that for?” Immediately he was hit with a wave of _feed me_ from all three. “I think it's time for lunch,” he said.

“Finally,” Yuri groaned. “I'm starving.” He started to head for the trail back to the inn, stopping when he didn't see them joining in. “Aren't you coming?” he asked, turning back to face them.

Victor already had a dragon in each arm, cooing happily at them as they snapped dangerously close to his nose. Yuuri pulled his wand out, looking to Yuri as he said, “We're going to stay here. The triplets are pretty messy eaters, we want to try feeding them here rather than at home.”

“See you guys later, then,” he said, and headed back to Yu-Topia on his own.

Yuuri watched Victor with a fond smile for just a moment before getting to work, summoning several different dishes before them, some cooked and some raw. He sat back down in the grass, the dishes a semi circle around him, and pulled Hisa into his lap. Beside him, Victor sat with Ai and Kou. “Okay, we know you like pork. What about...” he pointed his wand at the nearest dish, “Lamb?” He levitated a piece over to Hisa who quickly snatched it out of the air. She went at it with teeth and claws, shredding the piece more than eating it really, and Yuuri was relieved he wouldn't once again be shampooing the carpet at home after a messy meal.

Victor followed suit, letting the two he was holding try a piece from each plate. Sometimes they ate it, sometimes they played with it, sometimes they ignored it completely. As they tested out what the dragons liked, they also picked at their own lunch, often times having to surrender that as well to a curious Opaleye.

“Not a bad reaction to most of it considering it's store bought and not freshly killed,” said Yuuri, thinking out loud. “Vicchan was a picky eater until he started catching his own food. Then he'd eat anything.” The girls ate mostly whatever was put in front of them, only turning their nose up to a few items.

When everyone was full they marched back to the inn, the dragons going right for the dog bed and curling up for a nap. Yuuri quietly pulled his bedroom door closed so no dragon would wake up and wander off into the inn unsupervised. “We probably have at least an hour,” he said quietly to Victor as they tiptoed away from the door.

While the responsible thing probably would have been to go to the workshop and try to make a dent in the monstrous stack of orders he'd been ignoring, Victor suggested they relax in the onsen while they had a little time to themselves. His work schedule had been completely shot this week, why try to fix it now? Yuuri agreed quickly and led them to the private family pool.

As he sank into the delightful water of the hot spring, Yuuri let out a pleased little groan. The past week and a half had been hell on him physically: three days as a dragon, three days unconscious, and the rest spent chasing little dragons around and constantly being stepped on and bitten. After all that, nothing in the world seemed better than soaking in his family's spring.

Beside him, Victor hummed happily. “This feels wonderful.”

“Mhmm.” Full and warm, Yuuri was starting to feel sleepy as well. He fought the fog, for despite coming here to relax, he had also wanted privacy for this conversation. It took him a moment to figure out how to start. “Victor?”

“Mm?” he hummed, eyes closed as he reclined against the wall.

“Can we...talk about...earlier?” he asked. _Nice going_ , he thought. _Real specific._

Victor opened his eyes to glance curiously at him. “What about earlier? The triplets meeting Vicchan?”

Yuuri shook his head. “No. Um. I'd just been thinking, while you were practicing with Yuri, about what Mari said. About me going back to Ilvermorny in the fall.”

Victor sat up straighter. “Oh,” he said, face looking more serious than it had when they'd first stepped in here. “Yes. Ilvermorny.”

Yuuri was having trouble gauging Victor's reaction already. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean, what do I think?” he asked.

He thought that was pretty self explanatory. “Do you think I should go?”

Victor's mouth opened but nothing came out for several seconds. “...I don't know, Yuuri.” What did that mean for Victor? Was he invited along, would he be expected to stay behind in Japan?

Yuuri frowned, looking down at the water. This wasn't really helping.

Victor sighed softly and tried again. “Why don't you start with telling me what _you_ want to do,” he suggested. Then he could work on his own opinion. Right now his only thought on the matter was a selfish _don't leave me_.

“But that's just it,” Yuuri said, still watching the water swirling around them. “I don't know what to do. Or what I even want to try to do. It hadn't really hit me until today that I had this kind of decision to make.”

“Let's start with one thing at a time,” Victor said. “When you think of the girls, what's your ideal plan for them?” Yuuri glanced up at him with a curious expression, not sure what he meant. “Do you want to be their sole caregiver? Would you be comfortable leaving them with Azura when they're a little older? Or...with me?”

Yuuri turned this over carefully in his mind. At the moment he hated the idea of being separated from the triplets for long. Naps, meals, short walks with Victor...he was okay with that. But leaving them for an entire day, week, _school year_? That just...no. Absolutely not. He loved and trusted Azura more than any of the other dragons he'd rescued over the years, but every instinct in him still protested the idea of leaving his three for so long, even with her.

“With you?” he asked. “You'd be willing to watch them full time?” True, they weren't exactly as helpless as he imagined three human infants to be. The dragons could already walk and eat on their own, in a few months they would be catching small prey. But they needed supervision, attention, training, playtime, love- Yuuri shook his head, sure the list would go on infinitely if he let himself continue. They needed a parent, plain and simple. Not just for the basics of food and shelter, but to thrive and be happy. He couldn't do that from America.

“Of course I would,” Victor agreed. “I would _love_ to. I assure you they would be beyond spoiled. But would you be okay with that?”

He frowned. No, he didn't think he would. He knew Victor would take good care of them, and unlike with Azura, Yuuri could call for updates and chat. But he'd miss them too much, and he had a feeling the girls wouldn't like that either. “I don't think I should leave them. Not this early.”

“Okay,” Victor said. “That settles one issue. The four of you stay together. Now, how do you feel about taking a year off from teaching?”

Yuuri's stomach roiled at the thought. He loved his job more than he'd expected. When he graduated he had expected to job hunt for a while, maybe find a vet position somewhere, or a magizoologist job at a local zoo. He'd been stunned when the headmaster at Ilvermorny asked him if he was interested in being a Professor. He had no teaching experience! But Creature Care had always been second nature to him, and explaining concepts to classmates who were having trouble had been easy for him. Professor Odagaki relied heavily on him his seventh year, to the point when they had joint classes with other houses he was mistaken as another professor. While nervous about how he'd do speaking in front of so many, he'd eagerly accepted the role. After three years he had fallen into a comfortable groove.

Would a year off be alright? Could he come back and pick up where he'd left off, or would he have to relearn the ropes again? Surely it wouldn't be that hard to resume, but...what if the position was no longer available? They couldn't just not teach Creature Care for a year, and Odagaki couldn't teach the entire school herself.

“I don't like the idea of not teaching for a year,” he admitted. “But I would do it if necessary. I'm just worried that next year, when the girls would probably be alright on their own more, I would no longer have a job.”

“Can't they hold the spot for you?” asked Victor, not at all sure how any of this worked. “Isn't there a leave of absence you could do?”

“What, paternity leave?” asked Yuuri with a laugh.

“Exactly!” Victor grinned.

“I would probably have to explain _why_ I'm requesting that. I wouldn't have any birth certificates to provide, I couldn't even take the girls in as proof, as I'm sure it's intended for _human children_.”

Victor pouted. “We could figure something out. Look into the requirements. There has to be some way you can raise the girls without giving up teaching.” His eyes lit up. “What if you Apparated to work every day? You could live here with us and still teach.”

The idea seemed to solve all the problems on the surface, but Yuuri thought of how queasy he felt when Mari Apparated him from New Mexico to Japan. How exhausted she had been each time she'd returned for them. _Humans were not supposed to Inter-country Apparate this many times in one night_ , she'd said. “I don't think it would be safe or healthy for me to commute from Japan,” he admitted. “If I got too tired or too distracted after a long day I'd probably splinch myself. Plus the time difference. We'd never see each other.” Victor looked disappointed, and Yuuri felt guilty for shooting down all his ideas. “Hey,” he said, reaching over to squeeze one of his hands. “This is helping. Really. We need to talk out the options to see what works best.”

“Okay,” he nodded, gearing up for round two. But first, “Let's get out and dry off. Maybe Mari has some ideas.” They left the hot spring, checked on the sleeping dragons, then found Mari at the front desk, working on paperwork. Yuri was stocking the bookcase filled with potions.

“Hey little bro,” she said, glancing up. “Victor. What's up?”

“We were hoping you could help us bounce a few ideas around about the dragons,” Yuuri said.

“Specifically, who raises them and where,” Victor added.

Mari looked surprised. “I assumed Yuuri would raise them,” she said. “What else are you considering?” The two filled her in on the options they'd already gone over, even though they weren't leaning toward them right now. “Hmm,” she hummed.

Yuri turned around to face them, a bottle in each hand. “You want to raise the dragons without quitting your job?” he asked.

Yuuri nodded. “Yes. But I can't take the dragons with me to the castle.” That would be chaos.

Yuri let out an annoyed sigh. “Did it ever occur to you that you don't _have_ to live in the castle?”

Yuuri blinked. “No,” he said honestly. He had lived in the dorms of Mahoutokoro and Ilvermorny for seven years, and when he became a professor, continued to live there in the staff wing.

“You idiots deserve each other,” he grumbled. “Victor, where does Professor Feltsman live?”

“He lives with his wife Lilia in Moscow,” he answered automatically. “She's an instructor at The Bolshoi Ballet Academy,” he explained for Mari and Yuuri.

“And is Durmstrang in Moscow?” asked Yuri pointedly.

“No,” he answered. The light bulb went off. “Yuuri!” he said excitedly. “What if you just lived _near_ Ilvermorny. You could handle Apparating from the same state, right?”

“Ah, yes,” Yuuri said, certain that would be manageable. “And if there was a fireplace, I suppose I could use the Floo Network sometimes too...” He preferred to Apparate, but Floo wasn't terrible.

Mari cut in with, “Okay, so you find a house you like in Massachusetts. Aren't you still going to have the same problem we do now? The dragons will outgrow a house in a few months.”

Yuuri frowned. “Oh yeah.”

“Well...” started Victor, determined to solve this. “A house with a lot of land?”

“They'd need shelter,” Yuuri pointed out. “So I'd have to build another series of caves at the very least. That would take some time. I would prefer they be able to fly whenever they want, and with three of them there would need to be a lot of space. I don't know how expensive land is over there. Even if I use an Undetectable Expanding Charm, I still would have to start off with a good amount.” He sighed. “If I'm working full time and watching them when I'm home, I don't see how I'll have the time to also create another minor sanctuary on my own.”

“You wouldn't have to be on your own,” Victor said. “I could come with you.”

“Huh?” gasped Yuuri. “You'd...move to America for me?”

Victor looked like that was the most ridiculous question he'd ever heard. “Of course!” he said.

Yuuri's heart swelled, but he tried to tamp it down. “But... _Victor_...you just uprooted your shop a few months ago. You shouldn't have to start all over _again_. That's not fair to you.”

“It wouldn't be fair to you to buy a new home in a foreign country that needs major renovations done while trying to work and take care of three young dragons by yourself.”

Yuuri had to admit the phrase _by yourself_ kept tripping him up. That sounded terrifying. Even with all the ways to communicate and travel, the thought of being so far from both Victor and his family made him sick. “I...I need to think about this some more. All of it.”

* * *

And think it over he did. Yuuri mulled the situation over, alternating between going over what they'd discussed with Victor and his parents to privately pondering what he thought his best option was. He didn't want to give up teaching, but if it came to choosing something to surrender between Victor, the dragons and his job, he found the one he was most willing to part with was teaching. He could get another job, but he didn't think he'd ever find someone like Victor again, and he would only have infant dragons for so long before they grew up and were more independent. He wanted to experience and treasure the time when they needed him most.

After a weekend of playing with the dragons and practicing Quidditch with Yuri, Yuuri encouraged Victor to get back into a routine. The wizard was a little sulky at the idea of returning to work when he'd much rather spend time with Yuuri and the Opaleye. To be less of a distraction at home, Yuuri took the dragons to the sanctuary for breakfast and stayed through dinner, bonding with them while feeding and tending to the other dragons as well. Yuuri kept them away from the aggressive adults, but when it came to Moonstruck and Opal he was a little more lax, letting the triplets learn to socialize with more than just Vicchan.

A few days passed, and on Thursday Victor popped in the sanctuary with a lunch for Yuuri like he had every day this week. He pressed the ruby pin Hiroko had gifted him that morning. “Yuuri, I'm here. Where are you guys?”

Yuuri's voice answered, “At the base of the mountain. The girls discovered snow.”

In a flash Victor was at his side. Moonstruck was lounging in a snow bank a few yards away, the triplets attempting to get to her but constantly shaking off the cold white stuff they kept stepping in. Yuuri was halfway between the hatchlings and Moonstruck, up to his ankles in snow and encouraging them to come to him. “It's okay, it's just a little cold,” he was promising, laughing at their expressions of incredulity as they kept stepping on the snow and it kept remaining cold. “You can do it!”

“I'm surprised they made it this far,” Victor admitted, having never seen them venture anywhere near the cold habitat in the past week. “What brought you over here?”

“Just checking on Moonstruck,” he said. “I haven't brought her down to fly with Opal in a while, and I didn't see her this morning for breakfast. She's fine,” he added, before Victor could ask. “Just decided to sleep in I guess. I tried to tell the girls they would rather stay with Vicchan in the plain, but they didn't believe me, they had to come with me.”

Victor took pity on the shivering little ones and reached down to scoop Ai and Kou up into his arms. “It's lunch time!” he beamed. “Do you want to get out of the snow and go warm up?” They chirped and snuggled against him, eager for warmth, and beside him Yuuri leaned down to pick up Hisa.

Still reluctant to Apparate with them unless he had to, Yuuri lead Victor away from the mountain, out of reach from the enchanted snowfall and into a warmer section of the sanctuary. When it was suitably warm they all settled down, and Victor summoned the picnic basket with their lunch – sandwiches and tea for himself and Yuuri, a few raw salmon filets for the dragons.

They watched the dragons eat and play while they munched on their sandwiches. Since his return to them Yuuri tended to gravitate toward Victor more than ever, and with his head resting on Victor's shoulder and the triplets trilling in delight before him, he felt almost overcome with a sense of peace and happiness. He wanted every day to be like this, the five of them together like a real - “Victor?” he said in surprise, eyes catching on a red glint on his robes. He sat up to get a better look and saw a rabbit shaped ruby pin with gold accents. “Is that a family pin?”

Victor beamed. “Yes! Your mother gave it to me this morning! I didn't even know she knew my patronus was a rabbit!”

Yuuri blushed. “I mentioned it to her.”

“How did you know?” asked Victor, not recalling them ever talking about it.

“Ah. Your first week here. When you were talking about your mothers wand? You did a non-verbal Patronus Charm and I noticed it was a rabbit...”

Victor's expression was hard to read, Yuuri seeing both a pleased glint in his eyes and a little hint of sadness too. “How thoughtful of you to remember that,” he smiled. “And for your mother to make one of these for me.”

Yuuri set his sandwich down and placed a hand on one of Victor's arms. “Hey,” he said quietly. “Everything okay?” It was such a drastic change in mood, and Yuuri couldn't place what caused it.

Victor doubled his efforts, dialing up the brightness in his smile. “Of course,” he said. “I love it!”

He squeezed the man's arm gently and said, “I'm not asking if everything's okay with the pin, Victor. Are you okay? You looked so sad for a moment there.”

The Russian hesitated for a moment, then admitted, “My mother's wand... I lost it at Tausch's.” Yuuri gasped. “I was holding it when I was disarmed.”

“Oh Victor...” Yuuri hadn't noticed what wand he'd been holding, only focused on the fact that Victor had been disarmed and stunned before his mind went blank and he'd charged at Tausch as a dragon.

“It's not that big of a deal,” Victor tried to assure him. “I mean I have a dozen others. No shortage of wands here,” he laughed weakly.

“Still, I know what that wand meant to you,” Yuuri said. Victor shrugged, avoiding Yuuri's eyes for the moment, more used to being the one offering comfort than receiving it. “Maybe we can get it back,” Yuuri said. “We know where he lives. Or maybe we'll run into him again.”

“We are _not_ going back there,” Victor said firmly, eyes rising. “Yuuri...going there was what lead to your kidnap and torture.” Yuuri started to protest but Victor spoke over him, “Don't tell me that's not what they were doing to you. When we got you back you were sleep deprived, malnourished, beaten and poisoned. You could have _died_. And when I realized that was a real possibility I couldn't have cared less about that wand. Losing my mother's wand was nothing compared to the thought of losing you.”

Yuuri's throat felt tight. He swallowed roughly. “Victor...”

“Wands can be replaced. _You_ can't. Yes, I'm disappointed it's gone, it meant a lot to me. But I would happily forgo every wand my mother ever made me if that guaranteed your safety.”

At a loss for words, the only thing Yuuri felt he could do was pull Victor into a hug, looping his arms around his neck and dragging him into an awkward embrace as they sat beside each other. Victor let his sandwich fall to the ground as he returned the embrace, one of the dragons coming to sniff it with interest.

Yuuri knew Victor felt guilty for what happened, he'd told him so himself. But Yuuri didn't hold him responsible in the least. They'd been surprised and outnumbered, and in a panic things tend to go wrong. He'd tried to tell Victor multiple times it wasn't his fault Yuuri had been taken, but he wasn't sure Victor would ever really believe him. He leaned back, looking at Victor fondly. “I know you would. But please don't. I love that you have a wand for all occasions and I would never want to be the reason you lost one again. You're fully capable of saving me without that sacrifice,” he smiled.

“I'm not kidding,” Victor said, feeling like Yuuri was teasing him.

“Neither am I,” Yuuri replied. “Mari and my parents told me what happened while I was gone. _You_ came up with the idea to follow the bird on brooms. You fought off a wild dragon while carrying me! You pulled the parasite out of my eye and brewed the antidote in time, and while everyone was supposed to rotate who watched over me Mom says you hardly ever left my side.” One of his hands came to caress one of Victor's cheeks, the other man leaning into the touch. “I hope nothing like that happens again, but if it does, I know you'll find me. Just like I would stop at nothing to find you.” His eyes fell to the ruby pin on Victor's robe, and he carefully reached out to touch it. “You have a Katsuki family pin now. As long as you wear that, you're officially one of us.”

Victor's breath caught. “That almost sounds like a marriage proposal.” He watched as Yuuri blushed fiercely and looked away. It was way too early for that kind of talk, his mind scolded him. They'd only been dating for two weeks! But still... He gently caught Yuuri's chin, coaxing him to look at him again. “In that case, I'll never take the pin off.” Yuuri looked a mixture of amazed and relieved, and Victor smiled a little brighter and pulled Yuuri in for a kiss.

They pulled apart a little while later when Hisa and Kou climbed into their laps, demanding attention. They laughed breathlessly and moved to sit straight again, each picking up one of the dragons and apologizing for ignoring them.

“I should get going,” Victor said, certain his lunch break was over quite some time ago. He moved to stand up, but Yuuri grasped his sleeve.

“Stay. Please,” he said.

Victor laughed. “I thought you wanted me to get back into a routine?” he teased. “I have a mountain larger than Moonstruck's of unopened orders.”

“Please?” Yuuri said. “Stay with us this afternoon?”

As if Victor really stood a chance against those puppy dog eyes. His gaze softened, and he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to Yuuri's lips. “I'd love to.” He got to his feet, brushed himself off, then started cleaning up their lunch. The triplets had deconstructed their forgotten sandwiches and pieces of bread and cheese were all over the grass.

Once there was no trace of them left they walked further into the plain, heading for the lake at the center where Azura and Vicchan were swimming. Yuuri wasn't comfortable enough to let the girls swim yet – he couldn't watch all three that closely at once – but luckily they seemed content to play in the sand of the small beach and watch the other dragons dive.

When they reached the lake Yuuri whistled for Vicchan, and the brown dragon flew over to land beside them, rumbling happily at the tiny trills of the excited babies. He was an excellent babysitter, and seemed delighted to entertain the trio. Yuuri and Victor sat down where the grass met sand and watched as they played.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Victor turned to Yuuri and asked, “Do you swim?”

Yuuri wrinkled his nose. “I avoided it at school. We didn't have a pool, you know, it was just the lake on the grounds and they _said_ nothing lived in it but I was never quite sure about that...”

Victor laughed. “I meant here, as a dragon.”

“Oh,” blushed Yuuri. “Sometimes. I like to dive with Azura. She's taught me a lot. I can take off from underwater now,” he said proudly. “She can't convince Verndari to learn. I started because I felt bad she didn't have anyone to swim and dive with, but I do actually really enjoy it.” Victor's eyes sparkled. “...What?” he asked.

“I'm just imagining it,” he said with a smile. “Though it's pretty hard to get an accurate image in my mind when I've only seen you as a dragon for a few minutes.” It couldn't have been more than a minute or two at Tausch's home, and he'd turned back into a human at the castle as soon as he'd gotten off the wall.

Yuuri nudged him playfully. “If you want me to shift, all you have to do is ask.”

Victor was immediately kneeling before him, hands clasped together with an eager expression on his face as he pleaded, “Would you? Really?” Yuuri laughed and pushed him over.

“Okay. Let me get some space, I don't want to step on you.” Victor got back into an upright seated position while Yuuri stood, walking a few yards away before turning to face Victor. He looked a little nervous, but he closed his eyes, counted to three, and changed.

Victor gasped, gazing mesmerized at the beautiful blue dragon before him. He hadn't had time to fully appreciate Yuuri before, both times being hectic and fast. Now, though, as the dragon slowly padded over to him, Victor wanted to soak in every detail. He shakily got to his feet, and when Yuuri was before him, reached out a hand. Yuuri huffed out a small, warm breath of steam and nudged Victor's hand with his snout. Taking that as permission to touch, Victor gently stroked the blue scales, marveling at how tough they felt despite looking so pretty and delicate.

“You're so beautiful,” he murmured, awestruck. The dragon huffed, and if it were possible for it to blush Victor bet it would have. “I mean it,” he insisted, stroking his hand along its jaw to it's neck. He noticed a pale patch of scales, all uniformly a sky blue that stood out among the darker colors. “What's this?” he asked, fingers skimming over them for a moment before he remembered what Yuuri had said when he'd first met Vicchan. On the brown dragon, he'd gotten into a playfull scuffle that cut a little deeper than expected. On Yuuri, though... “Oh,” he said quietly in realization. “Did Alice and Antonin do this?” Yuuri had been in rather bad shape when they'd found him.

The dragon nodded, and Victor felt another surge of anger toward the pair that had taken his Yuuri. He of course remembered the wounds he'd seen on him when human. He knew that meant he'd been hurt as a dragon too. But looking at these scales, the armour like density of them, just made his blood boil all over again at the thought of what kind of spells the two must have been sending his way to cut through them. How lucky it was Yuuri survived their careless disregard for his life in pursuit of those eggs.

Victor let his hand skim along Yuuri's long neck, past his shoulders, over his sides. From a distance he was sure Yuuri looked flawless. Victor was sure when he flew the sun would glint pleasingly off his scales and he'd shine as if polished. Up close, though, Victor could see all the pale scales littering his body. There was a particularly nasty looking one on his flank that Victor didn't want to think too long about, lest he work himself into a rage all over again. He looked over his shoulder to see the dragon was watching him closely, a slight nervousness in his eyes as he looked from Victor to the damaged scales. Victor didn't need Yuuri's ability to guess that Yuuri was self conscious of his new scars. He pressed a quick kiss to the pale, mismatching scales. “Beautiful. All of you.” Yuuri huffed and looked away, but Victor noticed his tail flicking side to side, the same way Vicchan's did when Yuuri praised him.

Victor only had a few minutes of dragon Yuuri to himself before the triplets noticed and raced over. Yuuri knelt carefully to lay in the grass, mindful he didn't sit on any of them, and they chirped and hopped and climbed on him. Victor settled in to sit against Yuuri's side, reclining against the massive blue body and watching the three Opaleye fondly. The warmth of Yuuri's body was comforting, and he accidentally nodded off for a little bit, waking when Hisa pounced on him a little later. He blinked awake, hoping hadn't been out too long. He looked and saw Yuuri had curled up some, tail draped over Victor's outspread legs and head resting on his front paws, eyes closed as he dozed in the warm sun too. Hisa was still in Victor's lap, tail wagging, while her sisters were napping on Yuuri's back.

Victor pet the little dragon, hoping to keep her still enough to let the others continue to sleep a little longer. He turned his head to look at the scales he was resting against, feeling Yuuri's gentle breaths every so often as his sides rose and fell. _Such a beautiful blue,_ he mused. Though it wasn't entirely accurate to just call him _blue_. It didn't do him justice. Not when you could very clearly see a little, “Cerulean,” Victor murmured, touching a scale. His finger drifted to another one, “Cobalt.” Just another few inches away, “That's definitely sapphire...”

Yuuri slowly came to a little while later, feeling more well rested and content than he could remember feeling in ages. He heard a faint voice, _Victor_ , his sleepy mind provided, and with much effort blinked slowly awake. He saw Victor nestled beside him, Hisa on his lap, and he was looking very intently at Yuuri's scales. Yuuri raised his head, huffing a little steam as a yawn and letting Victor know he was up.

“Yuuri!” beamed Victor. “I was just admiring your scales! They're so gorgeous!” The dragon huffed again, shaking its head. “I mean it!” Victor insisted. “Look at this, azure, lapis, navy... there must be a hundred different shades of blue!” The dragon continued to look away, but the tail in Victor's lap once again flicked happily side to side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PhoenixSong, I just wanted to let you know that I did heavily consider paternity leave like you suspected! I had two routes to choose from: A) Yuuri tells the Headmaster what's going on, why he needs paternity leave, and he's basically a great guy who accepts and understands dragon babies happen, no judgement, or B) What I decided xD which is nothing that has been mentioned yet. But you were on the right track, that almost happened! :) 
> 
> Next week, because I'm still not done somehow: Yuuri has some decisions to make regarding his family and livelihood. What will he do? And will the author ever circle back to the ministry corruption?? We shall see!!


	17. I'm Not Satisfied With Secrets Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri are thrown a curve ball when trying to decide what to do this fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of part 1, for real this time! Thank you for sticking with me this far, it's been a pleasure to write this story and I look forward to your reactions every chapter. If you have any wish list items for part 2, I am open to suggestions! I have a few ideas from Moonmochi9 and Leonzite bouncing around my head right now...

Victor glanced at the clock on the wall of his workroom, happy to see it was almost four. He was calling it a day a little early and was eager to get to the field. He started cleaning up, then headed to the front desk to let Yuri know he could close up as well, the teen not needing to be told twice before he was waving a wand to lock up the bookshelf of potions. Yuri pulled out his two-way mirror before Victor could even say _have a nice day_. “Beka, where's your game at today?” he heard him say as he rounded the corner.

Victor normally enjoyed the walk to the field, but decided to Apparate today. He hadn't had time to join Yuuri for lunch, and each time he'd tried to reach him with the pins he'd received no answer. After an entire day of no Yuuri he was too impatient for walking.

He appeared in the middle of the field, calling out a happy, “Yuuri!” as he looked around. Quickly he spotted Yuuri in his animagus form chasing the three Opaleye. Considering his strides were much longer than theirs, it was more like they were running and he was leisurely stepping after them, clearly amused and huffing out puffs of steam in the dragon equivalent of laughter. At the sound of Victor's voice they all turned his way, the three white dragons skidding to a halt before changing their route toward him.

When they were close Victor knelt in the grass, holding his arms out as they leaped at him, knocking him onto his back. “Hello!” he grinned. He heard heavy steps approach, then a shadow fall over him as Yuuri leaned over him. “Hi, Yuuri!” The dragon rumbled happily for a moment before shifting back into a human.

“Hi, Victor,” he smiled, reaching a hand out to help him get back to his feet. Once up, Victor pulled Yuuri into hug, quickly pressing a peck to his cheek. “Pleased,” Yuuri mumbled quietly.

“Hmm?” asked Victor, his own smile growing.

“Hmm?” echoed Yuuri, before his cheeks turned pink. “Oh! Sorry, I was still in the mindset of talking to the girls.”

Over the past week Yuuri had been staying in his dragon form as much as possible. While he needed to be human to feed and tend to the dragons in the sanctuary, whenever he had free time he would shift, enjoying how close it made him feel to the Opaleye. He could pick up their emotions easily as a human, true, but it was magnified as a dragon, and he got the feeling the girls liked spending time with him both ways.

...It was also fun, he had to admit. He would shift now and then to play with Vicchan or dive with Azura, but never daily like he was now. It had been an occasional thing once the initial novelty wore off, but the excitement was back full force and he looked forward to the time he spent with four legs and two wings. Similar to what he experienced in the castle, he found after extended periods of time a change in how his thoughts flowed. Rather than full sentences, he picked up the vague meaning of what the dragons were pushing toward him, and he was getting better than ever at understanding and pushing thoughts back. Just sometimes it took a few minutes to get back to normal.

Victor _adored_ the first few minutes of adjusting. Yuuri knew it was because he typically said something embarrassing if Victor was beside him at the change, like this afternoon. Victor was _beaming._

“Are you pleased to see me, or pleased I kissed you?” he asked brightly.

Yuuri's blush spread over his nose, but he still answered a confident, “Both.” He wasn't surprised when Victor pressed another kiss to his cheek. Changing topics, Yuuri said, “You're here early.”

“I missed lunch with you, so I wanted to come pick you up early!” he announced. He looked at the three dragons beside them. “Are they ready to go?”

“They still need to burn off some energy,” Yuuri said. “They had salmon today. I wish I had known that was the same as handing them a candy bar, but whatever is in that fish gave them a huge boost.”

Victor grinned. “Challenge accepted! Hisa, Ai, Kou!” They turned their bright eyes on him, scales reflecting rainbow in the afternoon sun. “Come and get me!” He took off in a run, and the three scrambled after him. Athletically built, and with a head start, Victor managed to keep ahead of the little dragons for an impressive amount of time before they were jumping on him and pulling him to the grass.

Yuuri had jogged after them, and once he caught up, plopped down in the grass beside them. He plucked Kou off of Victor and wrestled gently with her, used to the little pinpricks that were her teeth and claws, trusting her not to bite too hard. They had figured out rather quickly the difference between flesh and scales, and were pretty good about not playing too rough when Yuuri was human.

After a while Victor was calling out his surrender, and with a laugh Yuuri set Kou in his lap before shooing Hisa and Ai off of the other wizard. Victor pushed himself up on his elbows and caught Yuuri's eye.

“You okay?” Yuuri asked.

“Yes,” Victor grinned, then added, _“Pleased.”_ Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Delighted. Tired, but satisfied.”

“I get it,” Yuuri chuckled. “And they do too. You don't have to say it.”

Victor pushed to sit up fully. “I kinda like it though,” he said. That way of communicating was so simple and straightforward. “Can they tell what I'm feeling too, or do they only pick up impressions from you?”

“I think they can pick it up from everyone,” Yuuri said. “My family's always been able to communicate really well, and we assumed it was in part thanks to them being able to read us, even if we couldn't always read them.”

Victor tilted his head to the side in consideration. “Can you tell what I'm feeling?” he asked curiously.

Yuuri blinked in surprise. “Oh. No. I haven't noticed that.” It probably would have been really helpful if he could have picked up Victor's sincerity when they first met. “Probably because I'm not a full dragon?” he suggested. Dragon to dragon he could do, but he'd never felt anything from his family.

Victor nodded. “I should have known. You would have noticed my feelings for you changing a while ago. I imagine you would have said something much sooner.”

 _Probably not_ , thought Yuuri, wondering what he would have done if he'd been able to pick up on Victor's interest in him. He didn't see himself confronting Victor on that.

“I wish I could do it,” Victor said wistfully. “I'd love to be able to understand them.”

“You do,” Yuuri encouraged him. “You're great with them.”

“I know,” Victor shrugged. The dragons had such expressive faces, and a different chirp or bark for every emotion, Victor was quickly catching on. But it still wasn't what Yuuri had. “But still. It would be nice. And then I could talk to you too, and you wouldn't have to shift every time we want to speak to each other.”

“Again, they aren't having full conversations without you,” Yuuri laughed lightly. “It's just ideas. Feelings.”

“I _know_ ,” Victor repeated. “I still wish I could do it.”

Yuuri leaned against him, bumping him lightly with his shoulder. “I promise I'll translate anything interesting. Now come on. I think we tired them out. Let's get them back to the inn for a nap.”

* * *

After they dropped the dragons off in Yuuri's room for a nap, the two wizards went to check on the Katsuki's and the dinner service of Yu-Topia. Yuuri was ready to jump in if needed, but his mother had things under control. It was a slower night than they'd had recently, and with the help of Minami busing tables and running drinks around, she had it covered. She smiled and waved them off.

“Do you want to go out for dinner?” Yuuri asked. They were so used to eating in, he couldn't remember the last time they went out into Hasetsu.

“Like a real date?” Victor grinned. Yuuri nodded. “Yes! That would be lovely. Where did you have in mind?”

Yuuri really didn't have anywhere in mind, but as they walked his feet took him automatically to one of the few places he frequented, Kachu Snack Bar. “Ah...” he said, realizing where he'd lead them. “This isn't really a _dinner_ place...”

Reading the sign, Victor perked up. “This is Minako's, right?” he asked, tugging Yuuri the rest of the way into the tiny bar. “We can say hi and have a drink while we figure out what we want to eat!” There was clearly no discussion to be had, so Yuuri let himself be steered to one of the bar stools.

“Hey you two,” Minako smiled, already starting on a drink for each of them. “How are the triplets?”

“Fine,” Yuuri answered, with Victor adding, “Darling as usual.”

Minako set a drink down in front of each of them. “How old are they now?”

“Twenty-seven days,” Yuuri said without thinking. Minako looked surprised at the specific number and Victor cooed, loving that Yuuri knew that. “I mean about a month,” he said.

“School starts in another month or so,” she said carefully. “You two come to any decisions yet?”

Yuuri shook his head. “We're still talking about it. But we do have to decide soon...” He had a letter from the Headmaster he hadn't replied to yet about the upcoming term.

Sensing Yuuri getting anxious about this topic, Victor reached over and squeezed one of his hands. “Phichit offered to do a little house hunting for us in Massachusetts. One perk of his Seeing is that he isn't tied to an office.” Their friend had been touring the States showing off his talents and had been happy to focus his time around Ilvermorny.

“Has he found any contenders?”

Yuuri shrugged. “Nothing that's move in ready for three young dragons.” The thought of having to build another sanctuary-like domain all over again without his family was daunting. Even with Victor, it would be quite a trial.

Victor moved the topic to something else, knowing it was hard for Yuuri that everyone kept asking what he was doing and he couldn't provide any answers. They finished chatting with Minako soon and headed out for dinner, Victor taking the lead this time and dragging Yuuri to his favorite ramen shop.

By the time they were home dinner at the inn was just about over, Toshiya and Hiroko seeing to the last of the guests while Minami swept the floor. At the crack of their Apparation Minami looked up and grinned. “Yuuri!” he all but screeched, running to him with the broom still clutched in his hand. “You'll never guess who was just here!”

Believing him, Yuuri gave in quickly. “Who was it?” he asked.

“Professor Morooka!”

He definitely wouldn't have guessed that! “Huh?” he gasped. “Why?”

“Who's Professor Morooka?” asked Victor.

“Ah, my old History of Magic professor from Mahoutokoro. What was he doing here?” he asked Minami.

Minami was vibrating in excitement, his normal mode when anywhere near Yuuri. “He heard Victor's shop was out of the onsen, and thought he'd come see it and you.”

“Oh. Well I'm sorry I missed him,” Yuuri said. “It's been years. I would have liked to say hi.”

“Guess what he said?” chirped Minami.

Once again, Yuuri knew better than to actually guess. “What?”

“Professor Oda isn't coming back this term!”

Yuuri's eyes bulged as Victor waited patiently for him to explain once more. “Professor Oda taught Transfiguration,” he told Victor. To Minami he said, “Why not? What happened?”

Minami bounced on his toes. “Apparently he was experimenting with a new spell and exploded his house!”

“What?!” shrieked Yuuri. “Is he okay?!”

“Yeah, he's okay, but he has to stay at St. Mungo's for a while. Their burn unit is the best in the world. Professor Morooka said he'll make a full recovery, but he'll be out the whole year.”

Yuuri's mind was whirling. He hadn't thought of his old professors in quite a while, and this was not how he thought they'd come to mind. “That's terrible. I'm glad he's alright.”

“Yeah! And this close to the beginning of the school year! How are they going to find another Transfiguration professor so fast?”

“That'll be rough,” Yuuri agreed, nodding as he turned to look at Victor. The other wizard was staring intently at him. “...What?” asked Yuuri.

* * *

One Week Later

Yuuri was staring at the letter in his hand, a response to the letter of his own he'd sent the night Morooka visited the onsen. Somehow Victor and Minami had convinced him to write to the headmaster of Mahoutokoro inquiring about the newly opened Transfiguration position. Yuuri had tried to argue his specialty was Creature Care, his experience was Creature Care, but the two had put a quill in his hand and wished him luck.

He had to admit, once the shock wore off, the idea was appealing... He'd loved Mahoutokoro. The Japanese wizarding school was located on the topmost point of the volcanic island of Minami Iwo Jima, an ornate and exquisite palace of translucent white stone. Ilvermorny had been grand in its own right, but Yuuri felt nothing came close to his original school's beauty. He'd attended for five years, being a day student the first three years and boarding for two, transferring to Ilvermorny at twelve years old. While he considered himself a graduate of Ilvermorny and, when asked, typically said Ilvermorny was the school he attended, he couldn't deny he owed a lot to the great start Mahoutokoro had given him.

He had been stunned enough when asked to stay on at Ilvermorny as a professor, and they had known him at his best. He had never imagined being a professor at Mahoutokoro! The last time he'd stepped inside the palace he was still afraid of kappas, the older students convincing him and his friends that the creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys really did live in the school's pond.

“...You read it,” he said childishly, thrusting the unopened letter into Victor's hands.

Victor was all too happy to oblige, tearing it open and eagerly scanning the letter. “You have an interview!” he cheered.

“What?” gasped Yuuri, reaching to yank the letter from his hands as quickly as he'd thrown it at him. He was in disbelief, but there it was in black and white.

_Mr. Katsuki Yuuri,_

_We are pleased to hear from you regarding your interest in the Transfiguration Professor position at Mahoutokoro School of Magic. With the school year beginning shortly, we are attempting to expedite the selection process and therefore we have already reached out to your previous employer to verify your experience. We have received nothing but glowing recommendations for you from your colleagues at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mahoutokoro is pleased to offer you an interview for this coming Tuesday August 3 at 10:00am._

_As we are sure you remember, Mahoutokoro is not accessible by Apparition for anyone other than registered staff. Please find included with this letter directions to our location along with a list of items necessary to bring for your interview. In addition to meeting with the Headmaster pleased be prepared to showcase your transfiguration talents with the items._

_Thank you for your interest, we wish you the best of luck!_

It continued on another page, spelling out all the things Yuuri was to bring and manipulate in his efforts to prove he was worthy of the position. “A toothbrush?” he wheezed. “How am I supposed to impress anyone with a toothbrush?”

“You'll think of something!” Victor beamed, throwing his arms around him. “This is so exciting! Why didn't we think of this earlier? It's perfect!”

“I don't have the job yet,” Yuuri quietly reminded him, but Victor wasn't concerned about that minor detail.

“We can live at home!” he was saying, starry eyed as he planned it all out. “The girls won't need to relocate, we won't need to build another cave or habitat for them... We won't have to leave your family! And commuting to work will be so easy if you can Apparate. It's not far is it?”

“Ah, it's not exactly close, but...it's not bad for Apparating,” Yuuri agreed. “Better than having to fly there every day.”

Victor blinked at him. “Why would you fly there every day if you could Apparate?” he asked.

“Well, that's how students get there,” Yuuri said simply. “At least before you board there.”

“Before you board there?” asked Victor. “What do you mean? Don't you move in your first year?” That's how it was done at Durmstrang. And Hogwarts. And Ilvermorny.

“Ah, no, actually Mahoutokoro takes students as young as seven,” Yuuri explained.

“Seven?!”

“But you have to be eleven to live there. Before that, you fly in every day on giant storm petrels.”

Victor's eyes were wide. “Are you kidding?”

“No?” said Yuuri, wondering why he would joke about that. “I know other schools start a little later-”

“A _little_ -? Yuuri! How many years of schooling did you have?”

He thought it over. “Ten?”

Victor wilted. “No wonder you're so talented. That's an unfair advantage, I only got seven!”

Yuuri laughed. “You're the best in the world, you didn't need ten,” he reminded him.

“I thought you said you transferred to Ilvermorny your third year.”

“Well, third year as far as Ilvermorny was concerned,” he said. “They didn't count my first three years at Mahoutokoro, just the last two. Otherwise I would have been twelve going into my sixth year. They put me with the same age bracket.”

Victor fell onto one of his workshop benches, tugging Yuuri to sit down beside him. “Tell me everything about Mahoutokoro.”

“Like what?”

“ _Everything_.”

* * *

Tuesday August 3rd, 9:00am

“Victor, for the last time,” Yuuri laughed. “I _can't_ take you to my interview. That's so unprofessional!”

Victor clasped his hands together and put on his best puppy dog eyes. “ _Please_? I'll wait outside. I just want to see the palace! You made it sound so breathtaking!”

Yuuri sighed. He really shouldn't, they both knew that, but they also both knew Yuuri couldn't say no to those big blue eyes. “...If you promise to stay outside,” he said.

“Yes!”

“And try not to be seen, or draw attention to yourself in any way.”

“Yes, I promise. I won't say a thing.”

Yuuri looked skeptically at him. Victor staying quiet? That was hard to believe. “...Alright,” he relented, and Victor cheered. “But you're staying out of sight. I don't want to lose this job because they think I'm crazy for bringing my boyfriend to my interview.”

Victor put a hand over his heart. “No one will know I'm there.”

* * *

“ _Victor Nikiforov?!”_

Yuuri inwardly groaned. So much for that plan.

There was a pretty young witch waiting at the base of the volcano for them, no doubt sent to meet Yuuri when he arrived. He and Victor had Apparated to a nearby island as instructed, and after showing the interview invitation they had been pointed to a small boat that would ferry themselves and two other visitors to the island the school was on. No one had questioned his plus one, to Yuuri's relief, and he had for a moment thought he'd go undiscovered.

Now, however, there was no way getting around introducing him. Victor was looking appropriately sheepish, probably realizing that there was no way he should have expected no one to recognize him. Especially since he'd been all over Japanese newspapers the last few months. “Ah, hello,” he smiled, taking a step behind Yuuri as if he still had a chance to hide from sight. The other two individuals from the boat nodded at the woman and walked past, heading for the steps beyond her. Yuuri assumed they were frequent arrivals.

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” she said to Victor, looking a little star struck. “I wasn't expecting you on this ferry. Did you have an appointment?” She started flipping through the pages on her clipboard.

“No,” he admitted. “Don't mind me. I was just accompanying my Yuuri here.”

The witch turned her attention from Victor to Yuuri. “You must be Katsuki Yuuri,” she smiled. “My name is Muramoto Satsuki. I teach Potions here. I'll show you to the school.”

“Thank you,” Yuuri said, before turning to Victor. “I'll be back soon. Don't wander too far, kappas live in the ponds.” Victor looked slightly unsettled by this before he saw the teasing glint in Yuuri's eyes.

“Oh,” Satsuki said, looking over her shoulder. “You can both follow me. I wouldn't feel right leaving Mr. Nikiforov alone down here. You can wait in the courtyard,” she suggested.

“Thank you,” Victor said, glancing at Yuuri to gauge his reaction. He really wished he had that impression ability right now. A quick glance at his boyfriend showed him looking a combination of embarrassed and relieved.

Satsuki and Yuuri chatted quietly as the walked up the stairs, Yuuri asking about some of his favorite professors he had here and Satsuki eager to spill the details. The class sizes were growing every year, though they were still the smallest of the eleven magical schools. “Our exchange programs are more popular than ever!” she was saying.

Yuuri recalled how he was the only one in his year to transfer to Ilvermorny. “That's good to hear,” he smiled. “I loved studying abroad.”

Just as Victor feared they'd be walking up the entire volcano, Satsuki pointed to a platform they were quickly coming up on, and told them they were almost there. Once on the wooden platform Victor saw a line of large birds, each with a leash tethering it to the railing. “We're in luck, I only reserved two but it looks like a few extra are available.” Yuuri and Satsuki each approached one of the massive birds and began expertly untying them, stroking their feathers to settle them down and leading them away from the railing.

Victor was wondering if he should just go for it or admit he had no idea what these were or what he was supposed to do with one before Satsuki approached him with a wide smile. “Mr. Nikiforov, you may ride this one.”

 _Ride it_? He accepted the lead silently, just as unsure as before but not wanting to look like an idiot in front of someone Yuuri wanted to impress. Why did Victor have to fail Creature Care every year in school? He should have paid more attention.

Luckily for him, Yuuri was at his side a moment later. “These are the giant storm petrels I was telling you about,” he explained. “I rode one to and from school every day for years. It's very easy. I'll show you how to mount them, just watch what I do,” he said, and slowly demonstrated how to get on the large winged creature. He looked every bit as comfortable as he did when riding Vicchan.

Yuuri hopped down and back on once again before Victor copied him. Satsuki waited patiently for them with a smile, and when all three were comfortable she took off, Yuuri and Victor's mounts following suit, and they flew for the topmost point of the volcano.

Despite being a little uneasy on this new form of flying, Victor was too distracted by the beautiful sight to be nervous for long. He couldn't decide what was more breathtaking, the view of the ocean or the rocky cliffs with the spattering of greenery. As they rose the air grew warmer, and what he had at first assumed was a low hanging cloud was revealed to be steam. Ah, Yuuri had said the school was at the summit of a volcano, but somehow it hadn't occurred to Victor until now that the volcano may be active.

It was hot, but not uncomfortably so, and after a few moments of complete white before his eyes they were through the cloud of steam and approaching what could only be Mahoutokoro Palace. Yuuri leaned over to say, “Muggles believe the island to be uninhabited due to the volcano. The layer of steam is enchanted with protective spells so even if there was substantial wind, the view would never be cleared. Worked wonders until planes came along,” he sighed fondly. “There are a few more spells now that guide planes safely around the grounds.”

Victor would have had a lot of questions on this if he weren't speechless at the moment. The palace was beautiful, resembling a pagoda made of white nephrite, surrounded by sakura trees charmed to be forever in bloom.

The petrels landed on another wooden platform and the wizards carefully hopped down. Another witch approached and happily took the leads, ushering the birds to the railing as the three of them made their way toward the school. Victor's head was turning this way and that so quickly he was getting dizzy, and Yuuri subtly took one of his hands in his to guide him along the path, worried his boyfriend would trip without assistance.

At the large golden gate Satsuki turned around and looked to Yuuri. “If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Headmaster. Mr. Nikiforov, if you'd like to take a seat in the courtyard, feel free. It's just in here.” She motioned through the gate, and before them were several little ponds with ornate fountains within, koi swimming lazily in the water and benches along the path. At the far side of the courtyard was a little bridge spanning one of the ponds, and on the other side was what Victor guessed to be the front door of the school.

“Of course. Good luck, Yuuri!” he smiled.

With a final squeeze to his hand, Yuuri pulled away and followed Satsuki through the courtyard, over the bridge and into the school. Victor felt only marginally guilty he didn't stay as hidden as planned, too excited to explore the picturesque grounds.

* * *

Yuuri emerged over an hour later looking an adorable combination of bewildered and pleased, a beaming Satsuki at his side.

Victor stood from his bench and hurried to meet him in the middle of the courtyard. “How did it go?” he asked. “Feel good about the interview?”

“I got the job,” Yuuri said in disbelief.

Victor blinked in surprise before smiling his heart shaped smile. “That's amazing! I knew you would blow them away!” He pulled Yuuri into a tight hug.

Yuuri laughed, returning the hug lightly before remembering Satsuki was still there. He stepped back, opting to instead take Victor's hand once more. “I thought they'd think about it and send me an owl in a few days,” he admitted.

“If I were them I wouldn't want to risk losing you to another offer. Of course they'd offer it to you on the spot!” Victor was nearly bouncing on his toes in excitement. “I can't wait to get home and tell everyone!”

Yuuri nodded in agreement, smiling a little wider as he let the reality sink in. “Would you want to walk around a little more before we leave?” he asked, figuring it didn't matter if Victor was spotted at this point anyway. “There's more to see than just the courtyard.”

“I would love a tour,” Victor agreed enthusiastically.

Satsuki spoke up. “Um, Mr. Nikiforov?” The two turned to look at her. “The Headmaster would like to see you now.”

“Excuse me?” Victor asked, certain he misunderstood. “I don't have an appointment.” He looked to Yuuri who looked just as confused.

“Yes sir,” she said. “But Professor Kida requested I bring you in next. Mr. Katsuki is welcome to join you.”

The two glanced at each other and shrugged, clueless. “...Alright,” he said, and followed her into the school with Yuuri at his side.

* * *

Introductions were made before Victor and Yuuri sat before the Headmaster's desk, Satsuki taking a seat as well.

“Thank you for joining us on such short notice, Mr. Nikiforov,” Kida said, smiling politely. The Headmaster was an older gentleman, kind looking and on the shorter side.

“It's my pleasure,” Victor said. “Though I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here, to be honest.”

The man nodded. “Professor Satsuki let me know you were here. She has informed me of your impressive accomplishments, though I was aware of most of them beforehand.” Satsuki turned a light pink and looked to her lap, fingers nervously twining together. “She is head of Seiran House and our full time Potions professor. As I'm sure you're aware, the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship will take place this term. Mahoutokoro has a reputation for having an impressive academic prowess when it comes to potion brewing, and we are always interested in providing new opportunities for our students to learn and hone their skills. Professor Satsuki and I would be most grateful if you would consider taking a role in mentoring our Potions department to ensure our students are well prepared for the Championship.”

It was all Victor could do to keep his jaw from dropping. He looked wide eyed to Yuuri who looked just as shell shocked by this turn of events. The Wizarding Schools Potions Championship took place every seven years since 1407, with all eleven magical schools competing for the Gold Cauldron. Victor had been lucky enough to participate his last year at Durmstrang, securing a victory for his school. He hadn't realized it was that time again already, honestly not giving it much thought as he was long out of school.

“What kind of role?” asked Yuuri for him, the first to get his motor functions under control.

“I have no teaching experience,” Victor accidentally said, too stunned to be anything but honest.

Satsuki jumped in with, “I host a weekly study session every Thursday for students interested in developing their brewing skills. I expect an increased interest this year with the Championship. In addition to needing a second pair of eyes and ears to handle the students, your expertise would be invaluable to them.”

“One evening a week?” Victor thought aloud.

“Maybe two,” Satsuki said. “Depending on attendance, if the group is too large it may be best to split into two sessions.”

“That...may be doable?” He looked to Yuuri who nodded. “May I think it over?” he asked. “I wasn't prepared for this and I have my own business and...childcare...I need to arrange before I can commit to anything.”

Satsuki's eyes popped up from her lap, probably wondering how she'd missed news of Victor Nikiforov's children in the press.

“Of course,” Kida agreed. “Please let us know before the term begins.”

“Quidditch!” Satsuki squeaked before clearing her throat. “Ahem. The referee position, Headmaster?”

“Ah yes,” Kida nodded. “Our flying instructor Ms. Masaki has refereed our Quidditch games for decades, but has since decided to partially retire. She is going to continue teaching our younger students the basics of flight, but she is not up for the fast pace of Quidditch. We are aware you played for Durmstrang and were quite skilled. Would you be interested in refereeing the six games this season?”

“Yes,” Victor said. “Again I need to look at my current commitments, but I believe six days would be easy enough to work around.”

The Headmaster nodded. “Excellent. I'll write up the details and have an owl sent this afternoon.” His eyes shown as he smiled. “We were so looking forward to having Mr. Katsuki join our staff. How fortunate to have had you here today as well. The pair of you will be a wonderful addition to our school.”

“Thank you,” they said together, rising to their feet. They said their goodbyes and Satsuki escorted them to the main door.

“Would you like me to take you back down to the dock?” she offered.

“No thank you,” Yuuri said. “We can manage.” She smiled and went back inside as they made their way through the courtyard.

“What just happened?” whispered Victor.

“I think we both got jobs?” answered Yuuri, not sounding any more confident than Victor.

“I didn't even apply for anything!” Victor marveled. “I can't believe it!”

“I can't believe Mari didn't believe me when I _said_ half the school is in love with you. I mean I was talking about Ilvermorny, but still...” Satsuki was clearly a fan.

Victor's smile was heart shaped. “Now we can work together! Do you think they'll let me in the staff lounge? I won't be a professor but surely I could still come see you there?”

Yuuri laughed, reaching out to take one of Victor's hands to tow him over to the petrels. “I'm sure you could.”

* * *

Back at Yu-Topia, Yuuri and Victor announced they would both be working at Mahoutokoro this year, Yuuri as a full time professor and Victor as a part time teachers aide and Quidditch referee. The Katsuki's were delighted and celebrated with a large dinner full of their favorite foods.

Later that afternoon the owl arrived with the details of both their positions. Yuuri would be teaching Transfiguration to students aged seven through twelve, five periods on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Difficulty ranged from explaining the theory of what Transfiguration entailed to memorizing the Transfiguration alphabet and to moderately difficult transformations such as animals into water goblets.

Victor would be responsible for refereeing the six games of Quidditch this year, two in the first term and four in the second term. Additionally, he would be assisting Professor Satsuki's potion students during study sessions designed to best prepare them for the Potions Championship. Thursday was a definite date, and Victor planned on requesting Tuesday for the second day if needed.

“That way one of us will always be home with the dragons,” he reasoned. That meant giving up his short lived dream of bumping into Yuuri in the staff lounge, but it was a small sacrifice to pay for finding a way for Yuuri to both teach and be with the dragons a good amount of the week.

That evening they took the triplets to the field for a nighttime run. Typically home by four or five, the dragons were always excited to play after dark when they got the chance. They were easy to keep an eye on, their iridescent scales beautifully reflecting the moonlight.

Yuuri and Victor sat against a tree, Yuuri's head on Victor's shoulder as they watched the dragons frolic. It had been comfortably quiet for a while, but Yuuri had something on his mind. “Victor?”

“Hmm?” hummed Victor in acknowledgment.

“You really want to do this, right? Mahoutokoro, I mean. You aren't just accepting it because you think I want you to?”

“Of course not,” Victor said, slipping an arm around Yuuri's waist and giving him a gentle squeeze. “I hadn't planned on it, but now that it's an option, I think I would really enjoy both. I have a great time with Yura and he hates being around me. Imagine how nice it'll be to be on a field with willing players. To be teaching students who actually _want_ to learn how to brew.”

Yuuri scoffed. “Yuri doesn't hate being around you. Couldn't you tell how upset he was before he knew about the dragons? He _wanted_ your attention. He was so grumpy because you weren't around.”

“Mm,” Victor agreed.

Yuuri was quiet again for several minutes before asking, “Do you think it was the right thing to do, keeping the dragons a secret from him in the beginning?”

Victor sighed. “That's a hard question,” he said. “I understand your reasoning for keeping it from him. You didn't know him, you didn't know how he'd react. On the other hand, it hurt to lie to him so often. After a few weeks, maybe we should have said something. But how does anyone know when the right time is?”

Yuuri picked at imaginary dust on his robe. “If I hadn't made you promise not to tell a soul, would you have felt comfortable telling him?”

Victor hesitated. “...Again, hard to say. I've known Yura for a long time, but at the same time, he's only thirteen. Can you trust a teenager with this sort of secret?” After a moment Victor asked, “Where is this coming from?”

Yuuri looked up to meet his eyes. “I've been thinking about this since Yuri found out. Since _you_ found out. And the Nishigoris...” He let out a short breath. “Maybe...it's wrong to keep them a secret.”

Victor's eyes widened. “What are you saying?” he asked.

“I'm saying...there are people out there who deserve to know. Like you. You spent your whole life in search of them not because you wanted to harm them, to kill them, to cage them...but to just _see_ them and understand. To protect them. Yes, there are Tauch and Antonin's out there, no question. And right now I think they outnumber the people like you and me. But we can change that.”

Yuuri's eyes left Victor's to look out at the little dragons playing in the grass. “I don't want Hisa, Ai and Kou to have to grow up hidden underground, with just this field to play in. I don't want to release Moonstruck and Opal and constantly worry they'll be seen. I don't want the wild dragons out there hunted and their eggs taken away and sold while the world is none the wiser. I want people to know what happened. I want people to be _angry_ about it. I want people to stop it.” He was startled a bit when he felt fingers turn his chin back so he faced Victor once again.

“You want to take on all the worlds ministries?” Victor asked. Well when you put it like that... Yuuri wilted slightly. “Hey,” Victor said gently, keeping his chin in a light grip to maintain eye contact. “I'm not saying no.”

Yuuri's eyes brightened. “You don't think I'm totally crazy for thinking this way?”

“Yuuri, I would be disappointed if you weren't,” he said with a smile. “I agree, we are outnumbered right now. The Ministry is ten steps ahead, but we can catch up. There has to be more people like Mari who were outraged by what they had done and what they continue to do. Look at Charlie. There has to be more people out there like him willing to help us.”

Yuuri nodded. “I thought the right thing to do was keep them secret to keep them safe. I was never happy with the fact that dragons were forced to hide, but I never felt like I could do anything about it. I thought anyone who knew would be another Alice or Antonin. But meeting you...changed everything. These three eggs hatching changed everything. I'm not satisfied with secrets anymore.”

Victor pressed a quick kiss to Yuuri's forehead. “I think we'll find more allies than enemies,” he said. “I really think if the public knew, more often than not people would take our side.”

“I hope that's true,” Yuuri said. He let out a short breath. “It won't be easy to break out of my comfort zone, but I know it has to happen for things to get better.” He glanced up to meet Victor's eyes again. “We have to start small. I trust you, and I trust your judgment. Is there anyone...you know who could help?”

Victor's mind immediately went to Christophe. Yakov. Nicolai. “Yes,” he said. “I know a few we could contact.”

Yuuri nodded. “You can write to them,” he said. “Invite them here.”

Victor could see determination warring with Yuuri's nerves. He knew it wasn't easy for Yuuri to offer this, and he gave his waist another comforting squeeze. “I'll write to them in the morning.”

“We have to start small,” Yuuri repeated, settling against Victor's side. “I don't want to draw too much attention while the girls are still young.” He couldn't endanger them or he'd never forgive himself. “But we can start laying the ground work. Get a better idea of what we're dealing with. Then maybe when they're one or two...”

Victor nodded. “All hell breaks loose.” Yuuri winced, but had to agree. It wouldn't be pretty. The Ministries wouldn't be happy. But that didn't bother him much. Not when the happiness of his Opaleye, of all dragons in the world, depended on this secret getting out.

* * *

Mid August – Katsuki Sanctuary

Victor and Yuuri were sitting around a small nest home to the remaining three Opaleye eggs they'd rescued last month. “Azura’s been keeping them warm,” Yuuri said. “Normally the mother heats them with fire or steam, they don’t sit on them like birds.” Dragons were way too heavy for that. “We have no way of knowing where the parents are, unfortunately.” They'd been sold by three different breeders.

Victor nodded. “When are they due to hatch? Can you tell?”

“Actually…” Yuuri smiled. “That’s why I brought you. One of them has been shaking for a couple days. That means its occupant is trying to get out. I think it’ll be today.”

“Really?” asked Victor, eyes shining and mouth heart shaped.

“Yeah.” Yuuri looked down at the eggs, noticing one tremble for a few seconds. “Azura will socialize it, teach it basic dragon habits, you know, all that stuff. She’s been a very good foster mom for several others. But I wanted you to be the first it sees when it hatches,” Yuuri said, almost shyly.

Victor’s smile somehow grew wider. “ _Really_?” he asked again, eyes growing watery already. “You’d let me be here with you when it hatched?”

Yuuri laughed lightly. “Of course. I was actually going to leave you alone,” he admitted, not wanting to be in the way.

“Oh, but you have to stay!” Victor insisted, grasping Yuuri’s hands gently. “We can raise them together!”

Yuuri gave him a fond look. “I’m going to be involved in raising them either way,” he reminded Victor. He helped with all the dragons, orphaned or not.

“Please,” Victor said, sobering slightly despite his excitement. “It would mean a lot to me if you would stay with me.” He gave Yuuri’s hands another gentle squeeze.

Yuuri smiled. “Of course. If you want me here, I’ll be here. But you’re going to be up front and center, okay?”

“Okay,” Victor agreed. He squirmed in delight when the egg trembled again. “Oh! You can do it!” he cheered.

Yuuri pulled his hands free and tugged on Victor’s elbow, encouraging him to kneel down. “We may want to sit, this could take a while.”

In fact, it was two hours before the first crack in the shell appeared. “Yuuri, look!” Victor cried, pointing at the egg.

“Any time now,” Yuuri said, and settled back on the grass to watch.

The egg shuddered, crack splintering off into a dozen smaller lines. There was a soft clicking noise of tiny claws tapping on the shell, and once a hole was punctured they could hear high pitched chirping and grunts as the hatchling fought to get out. “Don’t help them,” Yuuri advised, noticing Victor’s antsy fingers and well aware he must be tempted to reach out and pull off pieces. “They have to do it themselves.”

Victor nodded. He watched as the holes grew in size and number until the whole top of the egg popped off. With one last little body slam against the shell, the egg tipped onto its side and the baby slid out, slightly slimy and blinking against the bright light of the world. She had pitch black scales with pops of vibrant colors reflecting the light.

Yuuri couldn't believe it. A _black_ Antipodean Opaleye.

Victor was immediately crying. “Oh my god,” he said, reaching for the little one. “She’s so small!” He carefully picked her up, she was about the size of a toy poodle, and at her curious chirps doubled down on the tears. “She’s perfect!”

Yuuri supposed he wasn’t at all surprised by Victor’s emotional reaction. The hatchling was licking at Victor’s face, chirping and clicking and wiggling in his hold. Victor fell onto his back and set her on his chest. “Are you alright?”

“This is the best moment of my entire life,” he sobbed. After thoroughly exploring Victor, the black little dragon turned her attention to Yuuri. She tripped off Victor’s chest and somersaulted over to Yuuri, bumping against his crossed legs.

“You need to work on your coordination, little girl,” he laughed, watching her struggle to roll from her back onto her feet. Once righted, she stepped all over him, sniffing and prodding at him before losing interest and returning to the platinum blonde currently dying of cuteness overload.

“Hello my darling,” Victor beamed, scooping her back into his arms once again.

Yuuri chuckled. “What are you going to name her?”

Victor held her up under her little forearms, looking into her sparkling eyes. “I know just the thing,” he declared.

* * *

I don't know the rules about posting pictures here. If I say I don't own these at all can I have them here? I found these and thought they might help visualize Mahoutokoro's island (pictured is the actual Minami Iwo Jima island) and palace, and the opaleye scales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I'll give you three guesses as to what Victor named his dragon xD hmm so hard! We'll find out in part 2 but I'm pretty sure y'all can guess!  
> -This was once again way longer than I expected. I meant to just have Minami mention the opening, Yuuri send a letter, and say he went and interviewed and got it, the end. But then I was like well I'll explain what the place looks like a bit. And how they get there. And show the convo of how Victor got roped into this too... xD yeah it just kept going  
> -If you were disappointed that we didn't see Yuuri's interview and demonstration of his skills, fear not! I wanted to show that but I didn't have time to get it in, so it will be a bonus chapter whenever I have time to write it. So look forward to that!  
> -I also had intended to have Chris appear and find out everything, but that will be shown later too.  
> -The Wizarding Schools Potions Championship is a real thing according to wikia and a few other sources, so that's fun! Victor's skill is relevant! And apparently Quidditch is huge at Mahoutokoro, so Victor will be in hot demand!  
> -I totally forgot that Mahoutokoro started at age 7. I did look that up at the beginning of writing this story and was like hey remember that fact, and then...didn't. So pretend we all knew that this whole time and Victor is the only one surprised xD  
> -I wrote this all in one sitting because I have bad time management. I'm only late by four hours! xD  
> -The very last scene was written waaaay back when I was working on chapter 2. Rereading it now it doesn't quite fit the current tone, so it may be tweaked a bit. (I didn't know Yuuri was going to have 3 baby dragons back then xD) it kinda sounds like they're gonna hand her over to Azura, which originally I was going to have Azura do most of the raising, but now with Yuuri and his three kiddos...Victor and Yuuri are going to be raising all 4 (If you haven't figured it out yet, it's Makkachin xD) We ain't handing Makka over to Azura


End file.
